ha-energy

This skill prevents 8 common errors and saves ~45% tokens.

| Metric | Without Skill | With Skill |

|--------|--------------|------------|

| Setup Time | 45+ min | 15 min |

| Common Errors | 8 | 0 |

| Token Usage | ~10000 | ~5500 |

Known Issues This Skill Prevents

1. Incorrect state_class values (must be total, total_increasing, or measurement)
2. Missing device_class: energy on energy sensors
3. Wrong state_class for utility_meter entities (must be total_increasing)
4. Using unit_of_measurement: kWh without state_class (breaks statistics)
5. Forgetting to enable statistic collection in configuration.yaml
6. Configuring solar sensors without battery tracking for self-consumption
7. Grid monitoring with mismatched sensor pairs (consumption vs return)
8. Utility meter cycle settings that don't align with billing periods

Step 1: Configure Energy Sensors

```yaml

# configuration.yaml

template:

- sensor:

- name: "Total Energy Consumed"

unique_id: total_energy_consumed

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

state: "{{ (states('sensor.energy_meter') | float(0)) }}"

- name: "Solar Production"

unique_id: solar_production

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

state: "{{ (states('sensor.solar_meter') | float(0)) }}"

```

Why this matters: Proper state_class enables Home Assistant to automatically create statistics and energy dashboard integration. Without it, your sensors won't appear in the energy dashboard.

Step 2: Set Up Utility Meter for Billing Cycles

```yaml

# configuration.yaml

utility_meter:

daily_energy:

source: sensor.total_energy_consumed

cycle: daily

offset: [hours: 0]

monthly_energy:

source: sensor.total_energy_consumed

cycle: monthly

offset: [days: 0]

daily_solar:

source: sensor.solar_production

cycle: daily

offset: [hours: 0]

```

Why this matters: Utility meters automatically reset at specified intervals and track consumption periods for billing analysis.

Step 3: Enable Statistics Recorder

```yaml

# configuration.yaml

recorder:

db_url: !secret database_url # Optional but recommended

auto_purge: true

auto_purge_days: 90 # Adjust retention as needed

# Include sensors with state_class for statistics

include:

entities:

- sensor.total_energy_consumed

- sensor.solar_production

- sensor.grid_consumption

- sensor.grid_return

```

Why this matters: Statistics require the recorder to be properly configured. Without explicit inclusion, energy sensors may not generate statistics for long-term analysis.

Always Do

• Use state_class: total_increasing for cumulative meters that only increase
• Add device_class: energy to all energy sensors
• Set unit_of_measurement: kWh (or appropriate unit) on energy sensors
• Configure utility_meter for billing cycle tracking
• Include all energy sensors in recorder's include list
• Reset cumulative sensors on device restart via template sensor
• Use separate sensors for grid consumption and grid return

Never Do

• Use state_class: measurement for cumulative meters (breaks statistics)
• Forget the offset parameter on utility_meter (may cause midnight resets)
• Mix power (W) and energy (kWh) sensors without Riemann sum integration
• Create energy sensors without state_class (they won't work in energy dashboard)
• Assume solar production should subtract from consumption (energy dashboard handles this)
• Configure bidirectional flow on single sensors (use separate consumption/return sensors)
• Skip utility_meter configuration if you need consumption tracking by period

Common Mistakes

Wrong:

```yaml

sensor:

- platform: template

sensors:

total_energy:

unit_of_measurement: kWh

value_template: "{{ states('sensor.meter') }}"

```

Correct:

```yaml

template:

- sensor:

- name: "Total Energy"

unique_id: total_energy

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

state: "{{ (states('sensor.meter') | float(0)) }}"

```

Why: Template platform is deprecated. Use template integration with proper state_class and device_class to enable energy dashboard integration.

| Issue | Root Cause | Solution |

|-------|-----------|----------|

| Energy dashboard shows no data | state_class missing or wrong | Use total_increasing for cumulative meters |

| Statistics not generated | Sensors not in recorder's include list | Add sensor entities to recorder config |

| Utility meter not resetting | Wrong offset or missing cycle | Verify cycle (hourly/daily/monthly) and offset settings |

| Solar self-consumption not calculated | Battery sensors not configured separately | Create charge/discharge sensors for batteries |

| Grid consumption incorrect | Using bidirectional sensor instead of separate sensors | Split into grid_consumption and grid_return |

| Sensor unavailable after restart | Cumulative meter not preserved | Add availability_template to template sensor |

| Statistics showing wrong values | Raw data has negative values or gaps | Use Riemann sum to convert power to energy |

| Utility meter shows wrong period | Offset set incorrectly for timezone | Align offset with local midnight or billing cycle |

Energy Sensor Template (YAML)

```yaml

template:

- sensor:

- name: "Main Energy Meter"

unique_id: main_energy_meter

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

availability_template: "{{ states('sensor.meter_input') not in ['unavailable', 'unknown'] }}"

state: "{{ (states('sensor.meter_input') | float(0)) }}"

- name: "Instantaneous Power"

unique_id: instantaneous_power

unit_of_measurement: W

device_class: power

state_class: measurement

state: "{{ (states('sensor.power_meter') | float(0)) }}"

```

Key settings:

• device_class: energy - Identifies as energy sensor for energy dashboard
• state_class: total_increasing - Cumulative meter that only increases
• state_class: measurement - Instantaneous values (power, not energy)
• unit_of_measurement: kWh - Energy units; use W for power
• availability_template - Prevents unavailable states from breaking statistics

Utility Meter Configuration (YAML)

```yaml

utility_meter:

daily_consumption:

source: sensor.total_energy_consumed

cycle: daily

offset:

hours: 0

net_consumption: false # true for solar with self-consumption

monthly_consumption:

source: sensor.total_energy_consumed

cycle: monthly

offset:

days: 1 # Reset on 1st of month

hours: 0

peak_consumption:

source: sensor.total_energy_consumed

cycle: weekly

offset:

days: 0 # Reset on Monday

hours: 0

```

Key settings:

• cycle: hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, yearly
• offset: Time adjustment for billing alignment
• net_consumption: Set to true for solar to track self-consumption

Riemann Sum Integration (for Power to Energy)

```yaml

integration:

- platform: riemann_sum

name: "Daily Energy from Power"

unique_id: daily_energy_riemann

source: sensor.instantaneous_power

round: 3

unit_prefix: k # Converts W to kWh

unit_time: h

method: trapezoidal

```

Key settings:

• source: Power sensor (W) to integrate
• unit_prefix: k - Converts watts to kilowatts
• method: trapezoidal or left for integration algorithm
• round: 3 - Decimal precision

Grid Monitoring (Consumption + Return)

```yaml

template:

- sensor:

- name: "Grid Consumption"

unique_id: grid_consumption

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

state: "{{ (states('sensor.grid_import') | float(0)) }}"

- name: "Grid Return"

unique_id: grid_return

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

state: "{{ (states('sensor.grid_export') | float(0)) }}"

```

Solar Production with Battery

```yaml

template:

- sensor:

- name: "Solar Production"

unique_id: solar_production

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

state: "{{ (states('sensor.solar_meter') | float(0)) }}"

- name: "Battery Charge"

unique_id: battery_charge

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

state: "{{ (states('sensor.battery_charge_meter') | float(0)) }}"

- name: "Battery Discharge"

unique_id: battery_discharge

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

state: "{{ (states('sensor.battery_discharge_meter') | float(0)) }}"

```

Device Power Monitoring (Smart Plug)

```yaml

template:

- sensor:

- name: "Device Energy Today"

unique_id: device_energy_today

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

state: "{{ (states('sensor.device_energy') | float(0)) }}"

utility_meter:

device_daily_energy:

source: sensor.device_energy_today

cycle: daily

offset:

hours: 0

```

References

Located in references/:

• [state-class-guide.md](references/state-class-guide.md) - Comprehensive state_class reference
• [device-class-reference.md](references/device-class-reference.md) - All energy-related device classes
• [utility-meter-patterns.md](references/utility-meter-patterns.md) - Billing cycle configurations
• [energy-dashboard-setup.md](references/energy-dashboard-setup.md) - Step-by-step energy dashboard guide
• [solar-integration.md](references/solar-integration.md) - Solar panel and battery tracking

> Note: For deep dives on specific topics, see the reference files above.

Assets

Located in assets/:

• [energy-sensors-template.yaml](assets/energy-sensors-template.yaml) - Complete sensor template
• [utility-meter-examples.yaml](assets/utility-meter-examples.yaml) - Meter configurations for all scenarios
• [energy-dashboard-card.yaml](assets/energy-dashboard-card.yaml) - Dashboard card configuration

Copy these templates as starting points for your implementation.

For current documentation, use these Context7 library IDs:

| Library ID | Purpose |

|------------|---------|

| /home-assistant/home-assistant.io | User docs - energy, solar, grid, utility_meter |

| /home-assistant/integrations | Integration docs for specific devices |

| /home-assistant/template | Template sensor reference |

• [Energy Integration Overview](https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/energy/)
• [Electricity Grid Monitoring](https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/energy/electricity-grid/)
• [Solar Panels Integration](https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/energy/solar-panels/)
• [Utility Meter Integration](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/utility_meter/)
• [Template Sensor](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/template/)
• [Statistics Integration](https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/statistics/)

Energy Dashboard Shows No Data

Symptoms: Energy dashboard loads but shows "No data available" or blank graphs.

Solution:

```bash

# 1. Verify sensors exist and have state_class

developer-tools > States > Search for energy/solar sensors

# 2. Check recorder includes sensors

# In configuration.yaml:

recorder:

include:

entities:

- sensor.total_energy_consumed

- sensor.solar_production

# 3. Restart Home Assistant

# 4. Wait 10 minutes for statistics to generate

# 5. Check Developer Tools > Statistics

```

Utility Meter Not Resetting

Symptoms: Utility meter keeps accumulating without resetting at expected time.

Solution:

```yaml

# Check offset configuration

utility_meter:

daily_energy:

source: sensor.total_energy_consumed

cycle: daily

# For midnight reset in your timezone:

offset:

hours: 0

# For reset at 6 AM:

# offset:

# hours: 6

```

Solar Self-Consumption Not Tracking

Symptoms: Self-consumption percentage is 0% or not shown.

Solution:

```yaml

# Create separate battery sensors

template:

- sensor:

- name: "Battery Charge"

unique_id: battery_charge

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

state: "{{ (states('sensor.battery_charge_meter') | float(0)) }}"

- name: "Battery Discharge"

unique_id: battery_discharge

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

state: "{{ (states('sensor.battery_discharge_meter') | float(0)) }}"

# In energy dashboard configuration, set:

# - Source: Solar production sensor

# - Battery (optional): Both charge and discharge sensors

```

Sensor Shows "unknown" or "unavailable"

Symptoms: Sensor state stuck on "unknown" or "unavailable" in Developer Tools.

Solution:

```yaml

# Add availability_template

template:

- sensor:

- name: "Energy Meter"

unique_id: energy_meter

unit_of_measurement: kWh

device_class: energy

state_class: total_increasing

availability_template: "{{ states('sensor.meter_input') not in ['unavailable', 'unknown'] }}"

state: "{{ (states('sensor.meter_input') | float(0)) }}"

```

Before using this skill, verify:

• [ ] Home Assistant is running 2023.1 or later
• [ ] You have access to configuration.yaml (File Editor or VS Code add-on)
• [ ] You have at least one energy sensor available (grid meter, smart plug, integration sensor)
• [ ] You've decided on meter types (grid consumption/return, solar, battery, individual devices)
• [ ] You understand your billing cycle (daily, monthly, etc.)
• [ ] Recorder is enabled in configuration.yaml
• [ ] You've identified all devices/meters to monitor