Abstract
The rapid growth in semiconductor devices and the need for energy conservation has given rise to the adoption of embedded systems and automation for easy operation of electrical appliances, this prompts many consumers to embrace the technology to ease the usage of electrical appliances and to curb energy wastage. This study deals with the development and testing of the Arduino microcontroller timer socket outlet for electrical appliances. The system was developed for the users to predetermine the ON or OFF time of any electrical appliances connected to it while the user attends to other things. Major components used are Arduino UNO microcontroller, relay, RTC timer, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and the 13 Amps socket outlet which powered any electrical appliances at a preset time. The design was implemented and tested with a mobile phone, toasting machine, and an electric cooker respectively. The results show that the system makes the next generation of homes safer and smarter. Consequently, it is cheaper, reliable, and easy to operate, which contributed effectively to the usage of a microcontroller for automation and convenient operation of electrical appliances whenever needed.