Use the Utility meter integration to set up a Utility Meter helper
Set up an automation to set the correct rate (Peak/Cheap) at the right times
Add the two meters set up by the Utility Meter integration to the Energy dashboard
Gotchas
The meters set up by the Utility meter integration will return UNKNOWN until they have ‘seen’ some data from your grid import sensor. We have a battery so this took hours. I went down several rabbit holes trying to sort a non-existent problem.
You can’t add the meters to the Energy Dashboard while they are showing UNKNOWN.
Details
Grid Import Sensor
There’s some good info here: https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/energy/electricity-grid/
For me I already have suitable sensor from my Powerwall and Solar integrations so nothing else needed. You want a sensor that just counts up in Wh - counts energy not power.
Utility Meter setup
Grab the utility meter integration https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/utility_meter/
Go to Settings - Devices and Services and select Helpers. Create Helper - Utility Meter
Fill in the details. Meter reset cycle should be No cycle. Add two tariffs - Cheap and Peak - names are all that are required for now.
Submit
All being well you should see three new Helpers
Set up Automation to switch meters at correct time
alias: Peak/Cheap rate select for Utility meter
description: ""
trigger:
- platform: time
at: "01:30:00"
variables:
tariff: Cheap
- platform: time
at: "06:30:00"
variables:
tariff: Peak
action:
- service: select.select_option
target:
entity_id: select.grid_import_octopus_go
data:
option: "{{ tariff }}"
mode: single
You could do this with two automations entirely in the UI (more here) but the Utility Meter Integration docs had this neat method using variables. Change the times to the times that apply to your tariff!
Add new meters to energy dashboard
First check the state of the two meters is not UNKNOWN - Settings Devices and Services - Entities - click on the meter and select info. If there’s a number showing OK to proceed. If it’s UNKNOWN, just have to wait until you use some electricity!
Add the two new meters into the Electricity grid section of the Energy Dashboard - Setting Dashboards. Select Static price in the popup and enter the rate for meter you are adding.
I’ve been struggling with this also. You mention 3 helpers, one for each tariff (peak and cheap) but what’s the 3rd helper? Is that the one actually collecting the usage data?
I don’t suppose you have some screenshots of those sensors being setup do you? I’m missing something obvious I fear.
Sorry only just seen this.
The three helpers are shown in the screenshot - they are the two meters and the selector - the one with the clock symbol, it selects which of the two meters is to be used.
All three are created by the utility meter integration.
What happens when you set up the utility meter? What helpers are created?
Hi
Thanks for the reply I actually found a way of doing the standing order and worked great. Here
So you create this sensor just change the date to yesterdays date then when you’ve created the sensor go to the energy dashboard and add the sensor as consumption with a static price X 1000
So my standing is 43.35p per day when I added my sensor I put the static price as 433.5 and it has worked well so far.
Hi steve_jo,
Thanks for this, it certainly helped me get the dual tariffs up and running. I’ve 1 issue that I cant seem to solve. I’ve dual inverters, so 2 grid import sensors and have created two sets meters which seems correct. When I add them to the electrical grid section and set the static price, they provide the cost value. It seems however that the values are being accumulated into the energy usage total i.e it thinks I’m consuming twice of my actuals ?
Sorry I don’t understand. Please can you explain what your inverters have to do with grid import?
They might measure it as part of your solar or storage system but there’s only one wire with power coming in (3 phase excepted). Why wouldn’t you just use one sensor/meter?
Thanks, got you.
Will use the CT sensor to evaluate the peak & off peak. Was confusing my self with the 2 sets of data I get from the dual inverters. Your ofcourse correct, the CT measures everything out & in
This thread is a bit old, but in case it helps I can add a bit more detail as I went through this yesterday. I will also show the traps I fell in
The 3 helpers created are these
The top one has a drop down to flip between peak and off peak
It is then necessary to set up an automation to flip between the two (or more) rate settings. I have a switch for peak / off peak already so I just used that as the trigger. It didn’t work at first and I found these two issues, because I copied someone else’s script
Peak is not the same as peak, check your case is correct.
I made errors on the entity name, based on my screenshot above I needed select.electricity_meter
Is there a timing issue around when the helper sensors become valid as grid consumption sensors?
I’ve set everything up a couple of days ago, the helpers are counting peak and off peak usage in kWh, but the energy dashboard is not letting me add them to the Grid Consumption area.
Does that mean the utility meters don’t appear in the drop down in settings - dashboards- energy - add consumption? I’ve only had problems if the sensors weren’t actually counting.
Have you tried a restart (sorry know it’s a cliche)? Do you see any sensors offered in the drop down?
