Product Review - Belkin WeMo Insight Switches - 2 out of 5 stars

I will be reviewing several products periodically and posting them here.  I am a huge fan of LED light bulbs and will have a much more substantial review on costs savings later on.  But suffice it to say, I have realized a return on the investment in less than 12 months.  I decided to try Belkin's WeMo Insight Switches to see if I could generate costs savings as well on devices plugged into electrical outlets.  I wanted to experiment on two outlets that have computers (must be without an attached backup power system) or multi-media equipment attached to them.  Lighting and things plugged into your outlets (ex dishwasher, washer, dryer, water heater, air conditioner and refrigerator) typically account for approximately 30% of the average homeowners electrical bill.  So, trying to control the lights and devices plugged into electrical outlets can realize quick pay backs on the investments.

Product review: Belkin WeMo Insight Switch
Cost: $102 for two switches with shipping and tax
Rating: 2 out of 5
Pros:

• Apple app is attractive and functions well.  
• The switch is reasonable in size and has nice manual on/off and reset buttons.  The size is small enough that if you plug it into the top socket that you can plug something in the bottom socket (switchable via wall switch).  But if you plug the device into the bottom socket, then you block the use of the top socket.
• There is a small readout that lets you know that the wifi is being recognized when the device is on.
• The app has a section that calculates the estimated monthly cost and cost today, average watts running through the device and time that the device was on.  This is nice, but I would like to see an additional line or two, showing me the calculated savings.

Cons:

• Android app is less reliable.  It is slow and does not have the exact features that the Apple app has.
• Apps only have a vertical orientation.  I would like to see a landscape orientation as well.
• There is no computer app/browser interface, which typically for most products are more robust and allow for easier and more customization.
• Loading rules for automatic turning on and off, is not simple and straight forward, especially when setting "rules" for more than one device, which is located on a separate tab.  I would rather see the "rules" associated with the edit function of each device.  A firmware upgrade could correct all of these problems.

Conclusion:

I like the idea of controlling the outlets and some lights (for security reasons), but the product needs some firmware upgrades.   I am not sure that I will be able to generate a savings return in excess of its costs (I will write a follow up review, once I have some data).  This device is more about convenience, some savings, and security peace of mind (lights going on and off as if someone were home), than it is about a fast pay back.