How I experimented with connecting a Tapo smart plug, EcoFlow Delta 2, and my fridge

I’ll admit it: I’ve always dreamed of a smart home where everything works smoothly, like a Swiss watch, saving me money for a new graphics card (or at least for some decent coffee).

Before we dive into details, the traditional disclaimer: I’m not an expert, I don’t advertise any brands (although… if they paid me, who knows?), and everything you’ll see here is my personal, sometimes questionable, experience. Remember: I’m just sharing, not preaching!

So why a smart plug? Because I’ve got an EcoFlow Delta 2 power station, and I wanted to… how should I put it… make friends between it and my home! I pictured them binge-watching Netflix together at night, keeping each other’s batteries warm… Okay, stop. The logical choice would’ve been to buy an EcoFlow plug, but the little cheapskate inside me kept whispering: “Isn’t there a cheaper way?”

I wasn’t just after simple on/off control, but monitoring consumption, timers, and ideally integration into the EcoFlow ecosystem. And guess what? I found a fun way to use all of that!

Fridge on night tariff
+ mission "Don’t let the food spoil"

You won’t believe it, but I decided to power my… fridge from the EcoFlow Delta 2! Yes, the same fridge that hums 24/7 like a jet engine just to keep our food fresh.

The idea is simple: at night the station charges at a lower rate, and during the day—it heroically powers the fridge. All without interruptions, even when the station is charging from the grid. Genius, right?

But plugging the station in every night manually? Not my style. We’re energy-efficiency hackers here! So I decided to automate this whole thing with… you guessed it, a smart plug!

Tapo P115: meeting my first “smarty”
(or just a Wi-Fi outlet?)

I chose the Tapo P115. Why? First, it’s compatible with EcoFlow (yay, integration!). Second, the price was very reasonable (around $15). And third, the brand is popular enough to trust it’ll work properly.

By the way, I’m not a “single-brand only” fan. At home I’ve got appliances from Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, GE… and I think that’s normal. It’s like friends: they don’t all need to be from the same crowd—as long as each does its job well.

Back to the plug. Like any smart gadget, it requires an account in the manufacturer’s app. It’s like a job interview just to use your outlet! After signing in—connect it to Wi-Fi, pair it with your phone via Bluetooth, and voilà: full control over the plug. Timers, schedules, manual control… all there.

Making EcoFlow & Tapo “friends”:
automation in Elon Musk style

Now the fun part—setting up automation between the plug and the power station. In the EcoFlow app, you can add third-party devices and “introduce” the Tapo P115 to the Delta 2. Once paired, both show up on the screen.

Next, program a “smart scenario.” The goal: turn on charging at night when the station’s battery is low, using cheaper rates.

First program: turn on charging if the station drops below 15%.

• “If”: Delta 2 battery level below 15%.
• “Then”: Tapo plug – ON.
• Effective time: 11:05 PM – 6:55 AM daily.

Done! Now, when the station hits 15% during the night hours, the Tapo automatically turns on.

Second program: turn off the Tapo once charging is complete. Two options:

1. Automatically, when EcoFlow hits 100%.
2. Or simpler—just by timer at 6:55 AM.

I went with option two. Charging from empty at the lowest rate takes ~5 hours. So a scheduled 6:55 AM shutdown is perfect.

That’s it—the simplest EcoFlow + Tapo automation! Now my fridge is powered exclusively on the night tariff.

But… the devil’s in the details. What if it drains earlier? Or if the power goes out at night? For such “what ifs,” we need backup scenarios.

Pro hacks: preparing for the unexpected

Imagine: the station drops to 15% before 11:00 PM because the fridge door was opened too often or it was a hot day. Or maybe there’s a blackout at night and it didn’t charge. To avoid issues, let’s add backup rules.

Third scenario: stop discharge if below 15% before night.

• “If”: Delta 2 battery under 15%.
• “Then”: Delta 2 – disable AC output.
• Effective time: all day.

This way, if it can’t charge from the grid, at least we’re protecting the battery from deep discharge.

Fourth scenario: turn the fridge back on once it’s above 20%.

• “If”: Delta 2 battery above 20%.
• “Then”: Delta 2 – enable AC output.

Fifth scenario: force Tapo OFF at full charge.

• “If”: Delta 2 battery above 95%.
• “Then”: Tapo plug – OFF.

Now the system is pretty well protected against surprises.

So… is the game worth it?

Let’s summarize. With automation between the station, fridge, and smart plug, we save money by shifting usage to cheaper night rates. Total energy use doesn’t change, but the bill does.

Savings without solar (just tariff difference):

Parameter	Value
Tariff difference	$0.08/kWh (day - night)
Fridge consumption (approx.)	1 kWh/day
Daily savings	$0.08
Monthly savings	$2.40
Yearly savings	$29.20

Honestly, not very impressive, right? But still—motivation to keep improving!

Now, add solar into the mix. If the station recharges from the sun during the day, then the grid only kicks in at night—and rarely.

Savings with solar (almost autonomous):

Parameter	Value
Fridge consumption	2 kWh/day (approx.)
Day tariff	$0.16/kWh
Tariff difference	$0.08/kWh
Daily savings	$0.48
Monthly savings	$14.40
Yearly savings	$175.20

In this case, a solar panel would pay for itself in about a year.

Of course, I didn’t even consider EcoFlow’s branded solar panels here—that’s a whole different experiment.

Sharing experience: your turn, friends!

That’s it for now. I’d love to hear your thoughts and setups in the comments. Maybe you’ve got better scenarios or other smart gadgets to help make my home even smarter?

I hope my little experiment was useful and inspired you to try your own energy-efficiency hacks. See you in the next post! And remember: a smart home isn’t just about gadgets—it’s a mindset, a way to live smarter!