Merge faster than Insert Are there any advantages/disadvantages of making use of a merge over a insert function? Can an insert statement make use of the `OUTPUT'

Note: the ON clause for the merge is set to 1=0 (always insert)

Merge DeviceReading
    Using (
        --table here
    ) As [Source]
    On (1 = 0) -- Effectively Makes this an Insert as 1 Never Matches 0
    When Not Matched Then
        INSERT (
            [value1],
            [value2]
        ) VALUES (
            @value1,
            @value2
        ) OUTPUT Inserted.[value1], Inserted.[value2] Into @InsertIDTable;
MERGE has more flexible OUTPUT. OUTPUT can refer to the merge source which is handy if you want the client to be able to match what it sent to what was actually inserted (e.g. IDENTITY values). INSERT can't do that (for no fundamental reasons; seems to be not implemented).

I can't think of any performance difference. The plans certainly look so similar that I can't make out a difference right now. If there was a major difference SQL Server could optimize one form to the other.