BG Electrical 822/HC-01 Smart Power Socket, Alexa Compatible
BG Electrical 822/HC-01 Smart Power Socket, Alexa Compatible Double 13 Amp, White Moulded
| Weight: | 260 g |
| Size: | Double |
| Dimensions: | 2.9 x 17.2 x 15.3 cm; 260 Grams |
| Model: | 822/HC-01 |
| Part: | 822/HC-01 |
| Colour: | White |
| Pack Quantity: | 1 |
| Batteries Required: | No |
| Batteries Included: | No |
| Manufacture: | Masterplug |
| Dimensions: | 2.9 x 17.2 x 15.3 cm; 260 Grams |
| Quantity: | 1 |
| Size: | Double |
Easy physical install into a 25mm back box. No separate hub required. Manual setup needed to connect but got it working with Google home eventually. Given it can replace two bulky smart plugs this product appears to be underrated in my opinion.
I found it a bit of a ache to connect up to my BT hub 2 but I always find problems connecting Alexa controlled items to that hub a real ache anyway so I put it into AP mode didn’t have much hope but alas it connected up straight away and has done for the past week since I have installed it so so far all good…
Put the socket In his bedroom and now I just pop this socket on timer and it turns off – he can’t then power it back on as I use the function to child lock the function to turn it back on!!
So clever! My only way before was to turn the full house Wi-Fi off but then that involved having to reset lots of household things the following day
I definitely recommend this product to controle your kids and their devices 😉
Spend ages looking for a HomeKit support UK wall socket. As good as smart plugs are they are bulky and annoying but this being able to plug straight into a wall socket and look normal was perfect. It’s really quick, not noisy at all and easy to use. The setup was a bit difficult but once you got one working the rest followed easily. The LEDS and buttons are nice feature just in case your wifi goes down you still have the ability to turn the sockets off and the LEDs grab your attention when they need to.
Have smart socketed my house and plan to get more.
The only down side to this which would of been an amazing feature is power usage etc but overal I’m happy to loose a statistic like that to have the overal functions it has
Easy to install and set up, to install go to your fuse box & turn off the power remove the old double socket you are replacing, follow the instructions in the manual that came with the new socket to install it.
Note if you have one of the newer dual band Wi-Fi routers & you haven’t already done so you will have to split the two bands and rename the 2.4GHz band eg. If your router is named WXYZ Change the name to WXYZ2.4GHz then add the newly named network to your mobiles Wi-Fi.
Note you can find instructions on how to split the bands on your dual band Wi-Fi router, by Googling “How do you split the bands on a dual band (Brand & model name of your router) Wi-Fi router”
Next follow the instructions in the manual that came with the new socket to down load the app and set up the smart socket.
The socket is well designed and easy to fit, the manual is easy to understand, as it was written in English, in the first place, so there are none of the problems you usually get with manuals that have been translated from another language, the app has some useful features, such as the ability to set a maximum amount of time for it to stay switched on, as well as all the usual on & off timers and voice control by Alexa etc.
Ordered through Prime, received it during the day. Was fitted within the hour. Very simple to install and set up. Only thing is it needs the 2.4Ghz WiFi band and, while all routers cater for that, nowadays some routers have the same SSID for both the 5Ghz and the 2.4Ghz. So had to make that change in the router and worked fine.
Needs the BG app for setup but once set up it can be managed via Google Home or, I can imagine, whatever equivalent you might use.
Built a media wall and wanted a solution to turn everything off by the plug instead of standby, these turned out to be a great solution! Unfortunately had to split WiFi into 2.4/5ghz band so does require some basic networking knowledge but once they’re installed and network set correctly, they connect super easily, work great with Google home integration.
Good quality, easy to setup, looks futuristic, a must have product for the UK smart home. I have purchased these smart sockets to replace some my smart plugs which are bulky.
I have bought 3 of these and I cannot recommend them enough. Once you know what your are doing they are brilliant. The only small issue I had was I have a android phone and I could connect but then it wanted me to update the software and I couldn’t possibly settings issue.
I have them all behind my TV’S that are on the wall and I cannot reach so these are brilliant as you can turn them off with your phone.
I now have 6 of these around the house and have slowly been upgrading all my double sockets as I go. I haven’t had much by way off issues so far. I don’t recall any of them falling off my network. Setting them up was a bit of a faff until I found out that you can use the “Broadlink – Universal TV Remote” to install which also had the ability to “unlock” them so you can use them locally without the need of cloud support. You can actually have them installed with the BG app and the Broadlink app at the same time. I use them with Home Assistant and not had any issues.
They still suffer from the same issue that most wifi smart devices do in that you have to turn off the 5gHz band of your wifi network to add them but no issues after that.
Strangely despite them all looking identical 5 of my sockets have v57053 firmware and one has v57242 no idea why.
INSTALLATION.
Fitting is easy. They aren’t any deeper than a conventional twin socket, and I like the terminal size and access, which accepts two or three cables without any bother (even an old imperial 7/.044 cooker cable). They look sleek too: a definite improvement over the previous sockets that they replaced. In some cases, I fitted a finger-plate behind them to improve the look even further, and it allowed me to stick Dymo labels on, in case I forget what I named them!!
CONNECTING.
Connecting the sockets to wifi is fairly easy: just set up the wifi codes, name your sockets and that’s about it. My sockets are integrated into Alexa, and they are programmed both through the built-in timer function (useful) and Alexa routines.
DOWNSIDE.
There are two issues that affect the sockets in my house. First was that I regularly lost wifi to the left twin socket in the photo. I realised that it was due to my all-metal food slicer (right socket in the photo) and Breadmaker (left socket) obstructing the signal. This was overcome by moving a BG wifi extender socket onto the same wall. This now gives me a very reliable signal.
The second issue is that if I have a glitch in the wifi signal, due to a power cut or a thunderstorm, most of the sockets lose their memory and have to be re-programmed, which takes hours and is a pain to do. Also, any routines that they are programmed into will have to be updated all over again (painful, but that’s Alexa’s fault, not BG’s). If the power or wifi is lost, the sockets randomly turn on and off, which is an issue that BG need to address, as it is a potential safety issue, as well as an annoyance.
SUMMARY.
The price for these sockets is excellent. Great value. I definitely recommend them to anyone thinking about going to a Smart Home. Look into installing a BG wifi extender, too, as this should overcome any drop-out of your wifi signal, and be aware of the consequences of power or wifi issues.
I did and it anoyed the hell out of me, as i couldn’t switch the dam thing off or unplug the 4gang when we went on holiday (paranoid it will burn house down).
This is one solution to all those people that feel like me and are techie minded but dont care if a hackers can switch plug off and on again! Woo go hackers!
I’m a confessed DIY’r and are not afraid to replace light fittings or plug sockets i’ve cracked, scratched, broken in my heavy handed equipment moves/ contructions.
*** Warning *** you will need a sparky to install this ‘officially’. Failure to do so can invalidate your house insurance if your house catches fire due to your electical attempts, unless you electricuit yourself which will more than like result in you never touching another electical device again in fear (it will hurt, alot!) or ending up on a slab of cold metal with a tag on your toe.
Right with that out of the way – This is very easy for ‘your electrician’ to install, so easy you could do it yourself, if you dont care about the above warnings.
Once installed by your lovely ‘electrician’ (or you) its very easy to download the BG app and let it scan for the plug and configure the socket to the wifi. Out of the two that have been installed by my ‘electrician’ both were recognised straight away and allowed me to name the plugs (how cute) I called mine Left and Right… (imaginitive, i know! but you can change them anytime you like to anything you like – Electric chair and cold fusion). Then i plugged in my 4-gang extensions and watch all devices go off and on as i pressed the picture of the socket on the app (Sweeet!). I then put the cabinet against the wall, filled it up and i haven’t seen those two sockets since!
Now if i’m out and about and i’m wondering if i switched off my 4gang and all the devices connected to it, i can now save myself worry and switch them off via the app on my phone/tablet/work computer from anywhere there is 3g or above signal or wifi.
Other bonus that i never thought of when i electrician installed these was saving money. These cost roughly 2-3p while off (standby) a day to run compared to the 20-65p a day of the devices i have on the 4gang that are in standby/ topup charging. Doesn’t sound much but over a year thats 10.95 for the BG smart socket verses 237.25 for stuff on standby/topup charging. Its not rocket science math or magic numbers either…
Enjoy life worry free, that your house is going to burn down or that your using electricity while your not there. Just dont connect your router/broadband to it, as that would be silly! and youwould have to move everthing to switch it back on again as there is no bluetooth connectivity backup…
PS – you can also set a timer on these via your phone. All off at 8am when you go to work and all on at 5pm when you get back 🙂
I have 4 of these around the house now. They are all in places I do not need more than a double socket. I have rounded and straight edge ones and have purchased from different places. Varying places is as in every case I have purchased the double socket for about the same price as 2 standard smart plugs so these were not a more expensive option for me.
On the negative, they don’t like connecting by the so called smart pairing process. Every one has needed to be put into the slower mode to get connected by connecting to the sockets Wi-Fi first. Even then 2/4 needed a couple of attempts to connect properly.
A bit annoying but once on I’ve never needed to reset, even after a power cut.
Then there is the BG server. It may not be much but twice in 3 months they have all become unresponsive as have other BG smart devices. Again just a bit annoying and that does happen with most competitors occasionally.
For installation they do need more room behind than a standard double socket but so far not enough for me to have had to change the socket mounting. This is very different than many other wired products like switches that need a lot of extra mounting space.
Linking BG to Alexa was easy. Wiring up is no different than a normal socket. 99% of the time it has been connected with no issues. You can override easily if needed and it is a simple retrofit rated for anything you would normally run off a socket.
I’ve given it 5 but initial set up issues alongside BG server dropping all their products twice over 3 months would actually take me down to 4.5.
Over time if BG servers remain reliable I will forget the setup and consider this a solid 5. If it isn’t reliable I’ll be back.
But to enable a smart home where you are fine using a double socket, retrofit your current socket with this and other than the blue lit switches there is no difference visually of external space than your current standard white double socket.
If you just need 1 socket smart use a standard smart plug. If you need more points use a smart extension lead. But if you happy with 2 sockets and are willing to wait and shop around these are an almost perfect retrofit to provide 2 smart sockets at a good price.
Installation was a bit of a merry go round. Essentially you press and hold the left switch button until both lights are blinking red fast. If they are blinking slow just repeat this step.
For the love of God ensure your router is on the 2.4ghz WiFi band and even then once set restart the router. I turned off 5ghz and it still wouldn’t work until the router was restarted then you can use the bg home app to setup and finally then use the google home app to co next it all up. Bit of a faff but rewarding when done correctly.
Easy to replace existing socket. Initial pairing frustrating because if as I do you turn off all house socket before fitting, when you switch back on to pair, the router also needs to reboot so you can time out on initial pair.
After 3/4 attempts it paired.
Getting it work with Alexa didn’t work as the “link” account tab in the app keeps showing error 404 page not found, and Alexa doesn’t show it.
I hope this review proves helpful to anyone thinking about installing this socket and hope BG will improve the instructions and software in the near future.
As someone else mentioned, they can overhang the edges of some of the “standard” size back-boxes by about 1mm on each side but this won’t be an issue if you’re flush mounting in the wall or keeping them loose like an extention cord… If you want to install to an external weather protected socket housing though – make sure you get one that’s large enough to accommodate the socket.
They’re quite easy to set up, can be a little temperamental sometimes but just go through the process again till it works the way its supposed to (or try the Broadlink app, as the BG app is an in house/skinned version of that) and see how you get on. Additional sockets connect through the first one you set up, basically same process though. All good. Once you got ’em set up they work as expected, have been using the 2 I’ve already installed for some time with zero issues now.
Really useful gizmo to have installed.
Using the Alexa app (just to setup virtual buttons and separate on / off routines for each socket through Tasker & Autovoice, you don’t need an Alexa gizmo) and then combining that backend with the almighty Tasker app and the plugin Autovoice which can run those routines setup in Alexa (and some other apps that Tasker can use)… You can get really creative with how you control these sockets.
EG:
I use Tasker, Autovoice, Alexa (for the virtual buttons and routines as mentioned above), and a wake-on-lan app that’s compatible with Tasker as a plugin to create a Tasker profile which allows me to use a single tap on a widget button from my phone or tablet homescreen (this could be a time or location trigger… or even a voice command instead though if you wanted) to turn on my computer, wait 8 seconds, and then turn on the socket with the lamps by my desk and the monitors plugged in to…
I do this instead of turning on the computer, 2 lamps, and 3 monitors all individually. It all happens according to preset conditions at the touch of a button – as long as the device is connected to the same WiFi network. Can have it all booted and ready to go by the time you get there.
There’s also a profile for doing the reverse: shutting down and turning these things off with the touch of a separate widget button, although this one uses Unified Remote Full app as a plugin to send the power down command to the computer instead of waking it.
Another thing I use the same Tasker, Autovoice, and Alexa combo for is automating the socket that has my mobile device multi-charger plugged in to it on & off according to preset conditions like time and battery level… so I just go to bed, plug the cables into the things that need charging, connected to the multi-charger and sleep. While I’m KO’d the socket comes on charges till the battery hits the specified level, switches off, and then comes back on a little before I wake to top the battery up and turns off again on its own once it gets to said battery level. All ready for the day with zero effort beyond remembering to connect chargers before passing out.
If it’s got power, and you want to automate it, these sockets are great… Especially when combined with Tasker and Autovoice, and Alexa for the backend virtual buttons and routines.
Had Alexa and a few smart plugs for table lights and so forth and thought I’d add this to make accessing a socket switch more convenient.
Set up was quite straightforward and worked perfectly until a few days ago when it suddenly stopped. Not just lost WiFi connection and did not talk to Alexa, totally stopped and supplied no power to appliances!
Turned off the power to see if it would re-boot, but nothing.
Have had to replace it with a dumb socket.
Disappointed as these are not cheap and only 15 months old!
1) the double plate is slightly larger than a standard (MK) double. I originally wanted to put this in an outside waterproof enclosure for garden lighting) but it wouldn’t fit. I would have needed to use a belt sander to drop a few mm of the top and sides. Keep this into consideration if you’re thinking of doing the same (or order a larger enclosure).
2) the set up process was a total pain in the ‘arris. BG uses a whitelabelled version of the Broadlink app. Google online to see which one would suit you better. I used the broadlink app and brought them into home-assistant.
EDIT : Having had another look at this setting up process, it seems to make the whole thing a damn sight easier if you separate the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks on your router and give each network a different name (SSID). It is important that you connect your phone or whatever you are using for the set up, to the 2.4GHz network on your router, then make sure that when the socket is trying to connect to the network, that it is in Wi-Fi configuration mode (the switch leds on the socket will be flashing red quickly), if it is not in Wi-Fi configuration mode then press and hold the left socket switch for 5 seconds, then release.
I’ll repeat that your phone or set up device must be connected to your 2.4GHz network to be able to connect the socket. If it was previously connected to the 5GHz network and you have switched that off on your router, switch off the wireless connection on your phone, or other set up device, then back on again to allow it to reconnect to the 2.4GHz network.
Initially bought one to fit behind a TV to run 2 extension leads from – one for TV related devices, one for music related devices. It was easy to set up but with a couple of caveats. The first is if you want to use these sockets in Home Assistant then set them up using the Broadlink app and not the BG Electrical app as you’ll need to change a setting not available in the BG Electrical app (they are otherwise identical apps). The second is to turn off all 5ghz bands on your router/mesh network as they’ll only connect on 2.4ghz during setup.
I’ve subsequently bought more of these and they work very well. Coupled with smart home routines they are now saving me energy. An example is a soundbar with wireless subwoofer. The subwoofer is on a separate socket as it’s across the room from the soundbar, beside the seating area. A simple routine called “sound system” powers on both relevant sockets when needed rather than the subwoofer being left on when the soundbar isn’t.
A nice touch is the dimmable switch illumination. One improvement I can think of is the inclusion of USB ports in future versions. Lastly, the back of these sockets is quite large and whilst it will fit standard back boxes it might not where wall tiles haven’t left sufficient clearance around the socket opening.
Firstly the dislikes:
I spent forever configuring my home network to run on 2.4ghz instead of 5 thinking something was weird. I was using the iphone 13 pro max to connect to the lower band and the BG app wouldn’t’ find my sockets. I was getting frustrated as hell. 13 a socket that looks as good as these and smart is a bargain but no good if they don’t do what they are supposed to. I nearly gave up, but then decided to use my old iphone 7 (work phone) and install the app on there. I connected it to my 2.4ghz internet and bing, all five of the sockets that I had bought were there to connect to easily!
The good:
I have since bought another 13 to convert all of the sockets in the house to smart sockets. It’s easy to add a routine in the app and name it and once the skill is added to Alexa all of the named routines appear immediately for use. You can switch on or off individual sockets (left or right) in the routines and I have one that I call at the mo: Alexa turn on Xmas trees (I have three, one in the hall using both L & R sockets, one in the living room and one in our dining room) and they all switch on. You can set timers, random on off’s etc and name your sockets for what is plugged in to call (Lamp, hair straightener etc) and remotely control them out of the home. I hope that they are reliable as I’ve been so impressed I have done the whole house.
One further thing to add is that as they are slimline, the meat of the unit inside doesn’t leave much clearance at the top, so when installing them if you have top entry 25mm cutout back boxes the top wires can be a little snug against the unit when pushing back into place, so be careful when installing.
Like all smartplugs, you need to be able to switch the 5Ghz signal off on your WiFi router as they all operate on 2.4Ghz, not sure why nobody has managed to get them to connect while it’s still on but it is only a slight inconvenience…
Also, to ensure an easy setup with WiFi, before mounting these in a wall, I connected a piece of flex & a socket into this, just so I could be close to the router & establish a connection. Into the BG app & that was easily enough done.
Next, swap these into the wall, no easier or harder than fitting any other socket (back box needs to be at least 25mm deep), just be careful not to overtighten them, since they’re more expensive that a standard double socket.
It comes with a few screw covers which fit well…. Just not sure how you can easily take them back off without damage, but there is a couple of spares.
App is much of a muchness compared to other smart plugs, only negative is when you go into it, the first on/off switch you come to operates both sockets?? Why?? Is it that likely that I’ll want both flicked on together?? Anyway, click one stage further into the app & you’ll find independent controls.
They can also be controlled manually, with the switch having a blue ring of light round it to let you know what state its in, the brightness of this can be adjusted through the app (nice touch).
Connected to Alexa & now you’ve got voice control.
The one thing that would have completed this & earned it a 5th star?? 1 or 2 USB charging sockets built in
These seem to be for sale around the 20 mark, picked these up when they were on at 15, so they were around the same price as a pair of smartplugs, but they’re much more subtle
First tip… unless you have a big-screen mobile. Use a tablet to set up your sockets, it’s far easier… trust me!
The second tip… do not use direct connection… use alternative connection method. It will save you a lot of time and stress!
The third tip… if you use a VPN.. disable it. You can reconnect once the service connection has been established and it will function perfectly fine.
5 For build quality and product finish
4 For the app – direct connection fails more than once during setup, alternative setup is better.
5 Firmware updates as soon as you are connected to your router to provide you with the latest security updates.
5 Tech Support from James and Mark
I have openly stated on previous reviews that this product is not fit for purpose. I can honestly say that testimony from recent issues was escalated to product development and the product management team. By doing so has provided results in both product improvement in both software and hardware.
Such is my confidence now in this product, I have purchased a couple for a disabled homeowner. Installed, they now provide both verbal and remote control of various appliances. Assured by British Standards, CE and ROHS quality assured. I know they are safe as well.
Overall rating is 4/5
As excellent… get the app sorted with auto-configuration and it may well make 5 as outstanding!
Update #2 17 Jan 2020
Since my first purchase, I installed the sockets in a third party location for a disabled user. Initial setup went like clockwork. Set up to work with Alexa, no issues there, the only issue I did find was that because I was using the same app on my own mobile, the app software somehow created a bridge between my hive and that of the hive in the third-party property – result being that Hive can will (according to various other forums) shut down one of the thermostats. Which one nobody can determine. On top of that, installing the second 2 gang faceplate in property #2 the app software insisted it was installed as ‘Slave’ not ‘Master’ socket. This issue has been forwarded on to both Tech and Product Development to look at a solution.
The third tip – should you find this to be an issue (as a workaround solution) when setting up additional sockets, set them individually via the app and disconnecting negative from the back of the faceplate. Once each socket set as Master, then reconnect the negative and screw the faceplate to the backbox – job done.
**Remember** set up in AP Config Mode to ensure each socket becomes a Master Socket… if it becomes the slave and if the Master socket fails, it will take out ALL the slaves connected in series, so if you have 1 Master and 3 slaves running in series – all dead. If you have 4 Masters, only the failed Master remains as failed, the others remain operational.