Custom period with utility_meter and service reset by automation

[virtualdj]

@Edwin_D

What do you mean: store the last charge value in the template sensor? You cannot set its value, as the value is always the result of the calculation.

I mean storing the value in another tag/variable.

@Edwin_D

The km_since_last_car_charge sensor will produce the sawtooth all on it’s own

In fact it does.

@Edwin_D

If you want to to create a block shape graph in history (with only full charge cycle values) then you do not need a template sensor. You could just use an input helper. At the end of each charge cycle, you could copy the difference between the current total and the total at the start of the cycle.

Yep, correct. I’ve modified the automation above with this:

id: '1652210702680'
alias: Reset distance travelled
description: When charging, reset the counter of the distance in km
trigger:
  - platform: state
    entity_id: switch.car_charging
    from: 'on'
    to: 'off'
condition: []
action:
  - service: var.set
    data:
      entity_id: var.previous_car_charge_distance
      value: '{{ states(''sensor.km_since_last_car_charge'') | int(0) }}'
  - service: var.set
    data:
      entity_id: var.previous_car_charge_odometer
      value: '{{ states(''sensor.car_odometer'') | int(0) }}'
mode: single

The first of the two action is new, and copies the template sensor into a new variable var.previous_car_charge_distance. This is the variable I would like to graph and save history.

@Edwin_D

The recorder will also keep history for input helpers for as long as the recorder is set to keep it.

OK, so I’m forced to use InfluxDB even for this specific (and easy) task.

@Edwin_D

but will always be one charge cycle behind, because you only change the value when the full charge cycle is known

Of course, as there are no other ways to do that. Or can InfluxDB make the calculations to create a bar chart from the sawtooth data? I mean to display the max value after each zero cross as a bar.