Energy Cost Tracking

Overview

Energy cost tracking monitors how much electricity your actuators consume and calculates the cost based on your electricity rate. The dashboard shows live wattage, daily and monthly kWh totals, and estimated monthly costs.

Energy Sources

Each actuator can be configured with a power source that determines how wattage is measured:

Kasa Smart Plugs

If your actuator is controlled through a TP-Link Kasa smart plug, the plug reports real-time wattage directly. This is the most accurate source — no configuration beyond selecting the plug is needed.

CT Clamps (Coming Soon)

Current transformer clamps measure actual current draw on a circuit. Hardware support for CT clamp ADC integration is planned for a future release.

Manual Entry

For actuators without smart monitoring, enter the rated wattage manually (e.g., "1500W heater"). The system calculates energy consumption based on duty cycle — how long the actuator is on versus off.

Reading the Energy Card

The EnergyCard on your dashboard shows:

• Live Watts — Current power draw right now (real-time for Kasa, estimated for manual).
• Today kWh — Energy consumed since midnight.
• Month kWh — Energy consumed in the current calendar month.
• Monthly Cost — Estimated cost based on monthly kWh multiplied by your electricity rate.

Costs are displayed in your configured currency.

Setting Your Electricity Rate

1. Go to Settings > Preferences > Energy.
2. Enter your electricity rate in cost per kWh (e.g., $0.12/kWh).
3. Select your currency (USD, EUR, GBP, etc.).
4. Save. All cost calculations update immediately.

Your electricity rate is applied globally — all devices and actuators use the same rate.

Daily Rollups

Energy data is aggregated daily at midnight. Each day's rollup records:

• Total kWh consumed
• Peak wattage observed
• Average wattage
• Calculated cost

These rollups power the monthly totals and cost estimates.

Related Documentation

• Controlling Actuators — Actuator configuration
• Duty Cycle Tracking — Runtime tracking for actuators
• Unit Conversion Settings — Display preferences