Dynamic Electricity Prices
Take advantage of cheap hours.
Energy monitoring is the foundation for smart power management. By measuring your consumption, you can identify power hogs, optimize usage, and save money - especially with dynamic electricity rates.
| Type | What’s measured | Best for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Meter Port | Whole house via utility meter | EU countries | HomeWizard |
| Main meter | Grid input | Total overview | Shelly 3EM |
| Per circuit | Individual breakers | Find power hogs | Emporia Vue |
| Per device | Single appliance | Precise measurement | Smart plug |
graph TD A[Does your meter have P1/HAN port?] -->|Yes| B[HomeWizard P1 Meter] A -->|No| C[Do you want per-circuit monitoring?] C -->|Yes| D[Emporia Vue 3 or IoTaWatt] C -->|No| E[Shelly EM or 3EM]Many European smart meters have a P1/HAN port providing real-time data:
Price: ~$50
HomeWizard is the easiest solution for homes with smart meters:
Disadvantages:
⚠️ Check if your meter has P1/HAN port:
HomeWizard is auto-discovered:
# No configuration needed!# Settings → Devices → Add Integration → HomeWizard
# Entities you get:# - sensor.p1_meter_active_power (W)# - sensor.p1_meter_total_energy_import (kWh)# - sensor.p1_meter_total_energy_export (kWh)# - sensor.p1_meter_active_voltage_l1 (V)
# Energy Dashboard# Settings → Dashboards → Energy# Grid consumption: sensor.p1_meter_total_energy_import# Return to grid: sensor.p1_meter_total_energy_exportBuy: HomeWizard.com, Amazon
| Model | Phases | Channels | Price ~ | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelly EM Gen3 | Single | 2 | $55 | Budget |
| Shelly Pro EM-50 | Single | 2 | $70 | DIN mounting |
| Shelly Pro 3EM | 3-phase | 3 | $140 | Whole house |
| Shelly Pro 3EM-400 | 3-phase | 3 (400A) | $170 | Large installations |
Price: ~$140
Shelly Pro 3EM is best for whole-house monitoring:
Disadvantages:
⚠️ Requires licensed electrician!
Components:
Installation:
# Shelly auto-discovered# Settings → Devices → Add Integration → Shelly
# Entities per phase:# - sensor.shelly_pro_3em_phase_a_power# - sensor.shelly_pro_3em_phase_a_energy# - sensor.shelly_pro_3em_phase_a_voltage# - sensor.shelly_pro_3em_total_active_power
# Template for total consumptiontemplate: - sensor: - name: "Total Power" unit_of_measurement: "W" state: > {{ states('sensor.shelly_pro_3em_phase_a_power')|float + states('sensor.shelly_pro_3em_phase_b_power')|float + states('sensor.shelly_pro_3em_phase_c_power')|float }}Buy: Shelly.cloud, Amazon
Price: ~$200 (with 16 sensors)
Emporia Vue 3 is best for circuit-level monitoring:
Disadvantages:
Flash Emporia Vue for 100% local control:
# emporia-vue3.yamlesphome: name: emporia-vue3
external_components: - source: github://digiblur/esphome-vue3@dev components: - emporia_vue
esp32: board: esp32dev framework: type: esp-idf
wifi: ssid: !secret wifi_ssid password: !secret wifi_password
api:
sensor: - platform: emporia_vue phases: - id: phase_a input: "A" calibration: 0.022 power: name: "Phase A Power" # ... more sensorsGuide: digiblur.com
Buy: Amazon, Emporia Energy
Price: ~$280
IoTaWatt is the community favorite for advanced users:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ 14 CT inputs | ❌ Expensive |
| ✅ 100% local (no cloud) | ❌ Hard to get in Europe |
| ✅ Open source | ❌ More complex setup |
| ✅ Very accurate | ❌ Requires electrical knowledge |
| ✅ Web interface | |
| ✅ Influx/Emoncms export |
# IoTaWatt integrates via REST or MQTT# HACS: IoTaWatt integration
# Settings → Devices → Add Integration → IoTaWatt# Enter IoTaWatt IP address
# Entities:# - sensor.iotawatt_mains# - sensor.iotawatt_heat_pump# - sensor.iotawatt_ev_charger# etc.Buy: IoTaWatt.com
For single-device monitoring use smart plugs:
| Model | Protocol | Max Load | Price ~ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelly Plug S | WiFi | 2500W | $28 |
| Shelly Plus Plug S | WiFi | 2500W | $35 |
| Nous A1T | WiFi (Tasmota) | 3680W | $14 |
| IKEA TRETAKT | Zigbee | 2300W | $14 |
| Aqara Smart Plug | Zigbee | 2300W | $21 |
# Best strategy: Main meter + smart plugs
# 1. Shelly 3EM measures total consumption# 2. Smart plugs on large consumers:# - Washing machine# - Dryer# - Dishwasher# - Gaming PC# - Refrigerator
# Template: "Other consumption"template: - sensor: - name: "Other Power Usage" unit_of_measurement: "W" state: > {% set total = states('sensor.shelly_3em_total_power')|float %} {% set washer = states('sensor.washing_machine_power')|float %} {% set dryer = states('sensor.dryer_power')|float %} {% set fridge = states('sensor.fridge_power')|float %} {{ (total - washer - dryer - fridge)|round(1) }}Home Assistant’s Energy Dashboard provides fantastic insights:
# For dynamic pricing (varies by region)# Options: Nordpool, Amber Electric, Octopus Energy
# Example: Nordpool for Europe# HACS → Integrations → Nordpool
nordpool:
# Energy Dashboard:# - Use entity tracking current priceautomation: - alias: "Start washing machine at low price" trigger: - platform: numeric_state entity_id: sensor.electricity_price below: 0.10 # Under $0.10/kWh condition: - condition: state entity_id: input_boolean.washer_waiting state: "on" - condition: time after: "06:00:00" before: "22:00:00" action: - service: switch.turn_on entity_id: switch.washing_machine_plug - service: notify.mobile_app data: title: "Washer started" message: "Power price is now {{ states('sensor.electricity_price') }}/kWh"automation: - alias: "Alert on high consumption" trigger: - platform: numeric_state entity_id: sensor.shelly_3em_total_power above: 5000 # Over 5 kW for: minutes: 5 action: - service: notify.mobile_app data: title: "⚡ High power usage!" message: "Your consumption is {{ states('sensor.shelly_3em_total_power') }}W right now"automation: - alias: "Report: Night consumption" trigger: - platform: time at: "06:00:00" action: - service: notify.mobile_app data: title: "Night usage report" message: > Last night you used {{ (states('sensor.shelly_3em_energy_today')|float * (6/24))|round(2) }} kWh while sleeping.Dynamic Electricity Prices
Take advantage of cheap hours.
Home Assistant
Integrate everything in one system.
Last updated: December 2025