Hints and FAQ
Do I need solar panels or a battery to use this?
Only a grid meter with an imported-energy counter is strictly required to set up the app, but without at least solar or a battery configured there’s nothing to split - every device would simply show 100% grid. Solar and battery are optional; their capabilities only appear on a device once you’ve added at least one such source in Settings.
My grid meter doesn't report exported energy - is that a problem?
Leave that field empty in Settings and it’s treated as zero. Grid import alone is enough to correctly track grid-sourced consumption. The only downside is during periods where your solar or battery actually export surplus to the grid: without an export reading, that surplus gets counted as if the house used it, slightly inflating solar/battery’s apparent share at those times. If you rarely or never export (no solar, or a small self-consuming system), this makes no practical difference.
Why do I have to manually pick a capability instead of the app finding it automatically?
Capability ids for import, export, production, charge and discharge energy aren’t standardized across drivers - for example, some P1 meter apps use different ids for the same thing. You map each role once, to whichever capability your specific device exposes.
What's the difference between 'Device Energy Allocation' and 'Whole House Energy Allocation'?
Device Energy Allocation follows one or more specific counters and works out where that energy came from. Whole House Energy Allocation is a single device reflecting the entire home’s split, regardless of which individual devices you’re tracking.
What's 'Individual' vs. 'Summary' mode?
Individual creates one allocator per counter you select - a separate tile per appliance. Summary creates a single device that adds several counters together first, for one combined tile.
Can I add the same device or counter more than once?
Yes, on purpose - for example to feed two differently-named allocators, or to include one counter in more than one summary device.
I picked the wrong device/counter - do I have to delete and re-pair?
No - open the device’s settings and choose Repair. You can reselect the source(s); running totals aren’t reset, they simply continue from the new source. Repair can’t change individual/summary mode, only the source(s).
Why don't these numbers show up in Homey's Energy tab?
On purpose - see “What you’ll get” in the overview post. They’re estimates derived from meters Homey already counts, so including them too would double count.
A device shows 0 right after I add it, or after changing Settings
The app samples every 5 minutes. The very first sample after startup, pairing, or a settings change only establishes a starting point - real numbers appear from the sample after that.
My meter reports in coarse steps (e.g. 0.1 kWh) and I see gaps
At very low power, a coarse meter may not tick within one 5-minute sample, so that interval is skipped rather than guessed. Nothing is lost from the meters themselves - the next interval catches up as soon as a real change is seen.
What do 'Grid allocation' and 'Self-sufficiency' mean?
Grid allocation is the percentage of a device’s recent consumption (smoothed over the last 30 minutes) that came from the grid. Self-sufficiency is the rest - the percentage that came from solar and/or the battery.
How do I get notified when the split changes?
Use the “Energy allocation changed” Flow trigger - set how many percentage points it must move before firing in Settings. For a plain threshold check (“is grid allocation above 50%?”), use Homey’s own Logic card with the “Grid allocation” or “Self-sufficiency” number token; no separate condition card is needed for that.
