In September, Apple officially launched iOS 10 and in doing so, revealed the new Home app, which is designed to blend all of your HomeKit compatible devices into a single interface, giving you control of all of your smart household gadgets from a single pane on your iPhone or iPad.
The problem until now has been that there has been a severe lack of HomeKit compatible devices produced, as compatibility and certification requires a strict set of hardware and software standards that manufacturers need to adhere to.
In the UK, manufacturers like Philips have updated their Hue lighting line-up to include HomeKit compatibility, but there have been no updates to products like WeMo or Hive Plug, leaving consumers with a control panel for switching devices on and off, but no devices to actually switch on or off, until now.
Just last week, Elgato launched the Eve Energy device to the UK market (as well as the US and EU), citing full HomeKit compatibility, no requirement for an additional bridge or gateway and a bonus feature for the environmentalists and energy scrimpers: energy monitoring.
Via reports that are viewable in the Elgato Eve app, users can now see the energy consumption of individual units, meaning that you can monitor the energy use of connected devices and turn them off remotely using your Apple devices.
Negating the need for a separate bridge, Elgato has made the product relatively green. Not only are buyers not powering (or paying for) an extra bridge device, the Energy Eve also uses a low energy version of Bluetooth dubbed 'Bluetooth Smart' to connect with your Apple TV as a HomeKit hub.
Many more HomeKit products are likely to follow the Elgato Eve Energy in the coming months, but for now, if you're looking to smarten up your home with Apple HomeKit compatible plugs, this is the device for you. It might even reduce your energy bills along the way, or let you know whose device is to blame for those big bills.
The Elgato Eve is available to buy now, with detailed specifications and information on the Elgato website.
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