rel="sponsored nofollow"), we may earn a small affiliate commission from Amazon UK at no extra cost to you. See our Affiliate Disclosure and BS 1363 Testing Methodology.Walk down the smart home aisle at Currys, Argos, or browse Amazon UK and you will see two virtually identical compact three-pin sockets from TP-Link: the Tapo P110 and the Tapo P110M. Both share the exact same 52 × 72 × 40 mm mini BS 1363 chassis and 13A energy monitoring hardware, yet the “M” suffix adds local Matter certification and native Apple Home compatibility. Here is how to pick the right variant for your home, as featured in our best smart plugs UK guide.
At-a-Glance UK Specification & Price Comparison
All models below feature a native UK Type G three-pin plug or socket conforming to BS 1363 (230V–240V AC, 50Hz) and have been evaluated for British double wallplate clearance, standby wattage, and local network reliability:
| Specification | TP-Link Tapo P110 (UK) | TP-Link Tapo P110M (UK Matter) |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions & Weight | 52 × 72 × 40 mm (Twin-socket friendly) | 52 × 72 × 40 mm (Twin-socket friendly) |
| Max Load (BS 1363) | 13A / 2,990W Resistive at 230V | 13A / 2,990W Resistive at 230V |
| Energy Monitoring | Yes (Real-time W, kWh, £ Tariff, Overload cut-off) | Yes (Real-time W, kWh, £ Tariff, Overload cut-off) |
| Apple HomeKit Support | No (Requires Homebridge/Home Assistant workaround) | Yes (Native via Matter QR Code) |
| Typical UK Price | £8.99 single / £31.99 4-pack (Amazon UK) | £11.99 single / £38.99 4-pack (Amazon UK) |
1. Identical Electrical Hardware, Different Local Protocol Stack
Externally and electrically, the UK Tapo P110 and Tapo P110M are twins: both use a 13A relay, draw 0.6 W in idle standby, and offer the same Energy Monitoring and Power Protection screens inside the Tapo app.
The difference is inside the microcontroller firmware: the P110M runs the Matter over Wi-Fi stack, allowing direct local control from Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings without going through TP-Link’s cloud servers.
2. Verdict: Should You Spend the Extra £2–£3 for the P110M?
If anyone in your household uses an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch—or if you want future-proof local Matter control—buy the Tapo P110M (check price on Amazon UK). If you are buying a 4-pack strictly for Amazon Alexa routines and Tapo app energy tracking on a tight budget, the standard Tapo P110 saves around £7 per four-pack.
How We Test (UK BS 1363 Workbench Protocol)
Our evaluation protocol is specifically designed around British domestic electrical standards rather than generic international spec sheets:
- Twin Wall Socket Clearance (BS 1363-2): We fit each plug into a standard UK MK Logic Plus and BG Nexus double switched wall socket to verify that a casing width of 52–57 mm leaves the adjacent socket and individual rocker switches completely unobstructed.
- True-RMS Standby & Relay Wattage: Using a calibrated 230V/50Hz inline wattmeter (0.1W resolution), we log 24-hour parasitic power consumption both with the relay open (Wi-Fi/Thread listening) and with the relay closed (energised coil + status LED).
- Thermal Pin & Load Verification: While a BS 1363 fuse is rated to 13A (2,990W at 230V), we monitor brass pin temperature after 60 minutes under sustained 2,200W resistive load and verify over-current auto-shutoff behaviour in the companion firmware.
- UK ISP Router & Offline Timer Resilience: We test 2.4 GHz onboarding on merged SSIDs (BT Smart Hub 2, Sky Max Hub, Virgin Media Hub 5) and disconnect the WAN fibre cable to confirm whether scheduled timers and local Matter/Thread automations still execute on time.
Can I mix existing Tapo P110 plugs and new Tapo P110M plugs inside the same Tapo app account?
Yes Gareth, 100%. Both the P110 and P110M sit side by side in the same Tapo app, share the same energy summary cards, and can be triggered together in Tapo Smart Actions.