UK Sockets with Power Monitoring

Does anyone know if any of the smart sockets available in the UK also do power monitoring? I mean the ones that are in the wall, not the plug in types.
I want to put one on the washing machine, but the space is too tight to use the plugin type, so I was hoping I could replace the socket.

The only ones I’ve come across are Lightwave, and they are very expensive. You also have to have a hub - total cost nearly £200 for a single socket!

On the plus side (sort of…), they look very smart (but yours is going behind the washing machine…), and there is an official HA integration - although the docs don’t mention the power monitoring aspect.

You’ll gather I’m not a fan.

How about a short extentsion lead so that the plug can be on the floor, or on top of the washing machine, with one of the plug-in power monitors in it? I have several of these:

…and they only cost £9.50 each.

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Hope you don’t me me jumping in here - Can I ask how you find these Local Bytes smart plugs? I currently use Meross plugs, using a HACS local add on - but always conscious we are 1 firmware update from being blocked out. Additionally I’m not convinced the power monitoring on the MSS310 is entirely accurate… I have a 1600w appliance apparently drawing 2100+w according to the Meross plug.

Is it easy enough to update firmware on these Local Bytes plugs - (If indeed you do). Appreciate they are based on Tasmota - which I always read about on here, but never (yet) had it hands on.

Do the plugs present entities for volts, watts, amps usage like the Meross ones?

Really liking the idea of 100% local…

I’ve only been using them for a few weeks, but very good so far. The only drawback I’ve found is that they are only 10A. For the kettle and washing machine I’ve had to go elsewhere:

https://preflashed.co.uk/product/homekit-preflashed-uk-plug/

These are fused and can handle up to 16A. Edit: Not true - see later post. Also Tasmota and functionally exactly the same - but twice the price.

I have upgraded the firmware on all of them without problems - a single button click. Not familiar with Meross, but the entities sound the same:

The two makes are slightly different in shape, but quite compact and don’t foul the switches on your wall sockets (except possibly if you have USB sockets, when everything is a bit closer together).The Local Bytes plug is fractionally shallower.

As far as HA is concerned, you have to install the Mosquitto MQTT broker and then the Tasmota integration (all much more straightforward than it sounds). After that new plugs are automatically detected as soon as you add them to your wi-fi.

For monitoring I have found it better to use the power entity and convert it into kWh. You can feed the energy total value directly into the energy dashboard, but if the plug is ever powered off it resets to zero.

You do need to calibrate Tasmota devices for accuracy. Haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds doable. Instructions here:

https://tasmota.github.io/docs/Power-Monitoring-Calibration/

Worth getting one to check out.

Edit: Oops does not appear to have power monitoring.

Nice one - many thanks for that. I may well pick one up to evaluate it.

I trust the software side being Tasmota - but is the hardware the software runs on legit?- I’m concious that I don’t want uncertified cheap Chinese crap running on my electrical systems.

Thank you for the recommendations. I’ve ordered some from Local Bytes for my first foray into tasmota integration.

Ah, how can you tell? Everything’s made in China. Both companies have co.uk addresses and ship from the UK. I believe the Local Bytes guy posts here sometimes - though I can’t find him at the moment.

Just evidence of CE and FCC safety markings on the plug or documentation. It’s a minefield - appreciate most stuff comes from the East. I probably think into this too much, but paranoid about something in my smart home setup failing, melting down, overheating and the like - and taking my house with it.

I’ve emailed the Local Bytes guy via the website. Really really like the idea of these - just need to be put a rest that the hardware is built with quality and not reflashed devices that have been imported from a far with no safety testing :slight_smile:

Thank you so much for you help :slight_smile:

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Both devices have the CE and RoHS marks - the latter not to do with electrical safety, of course, but reassuring. I know what you mean, though. I have heat sensors all over the place, just in case.

Thanks mate :slight_smile:

If you want a plug/socket rather than a wall socket. I just got 2 of these (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09QQB9P24), delivered item was Gosund and works great with tuya intergration

A bit late to the party, but I recently bought this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08KJK7DJX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I can get it to show the current, current power and voltage. It seems that the device itself doesn’t calculate a running total. As such, there’s no way to reliably get the total power (kWh) unless you get Home Assistant to try to calculate it - because it will miss data if it is shut down while the sockets are still being used.

For me, there’s no point having energy monitoring if you can’t track it over time, so I can’t say this is worth buying if that’s important to you.

Did you manage to get these into Home Assistant? I got a Knights bridge socket. Does the power monitoring ok.

But wont flash with Tuya-Convert

I use the Aurora Aone sockets. These are Zigbee compatible, so you don’t need the Aone hub and they provide energy monitoring. Easy to add to Home Assistant with ZHA by holding both buttons until the lights flash and adding as a Zigbee device.

I have had one for about a year and I have just ordered another three as I saw they were on sale.

They are generally about ÂŁ60, but I noticed that they are on sale for ÂŁ36: Smart Secure

These are the sensors that it displays in ZHA:

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How deep is the 13A socket back box?

Squeezing 13A conductors, relay, current shunt, and WLAN controller into a socket usually means you need a 35mm back box or a spacer ring for the front as despite what the manufacturer says, there’s no way everything fits.

Sockets on a ring are much worse due to the extra space needed for 2x 2.5mm2 2+CPC.

Some kitchens have a worktop isolator switch which might give more space but any replacement will be single pole switching, reducing safety.

Worse case - try an in-line device or even an extension cable to move the device to a better location:

  • 13A fused plug
  • 13A flex
  • Insulated box with strain relief
  • Shelly / Sonoff device (check the current rating - some are really only 10A rated)
  • 13A flex
  • in-line socket

If this helps, :heart: this post!

I agree, I also have some Aurora Aone Zigbee sockets and they work great with power monitoring. I also purchased them from Smart Secure for ~ÂŁ33 (3+). Using Z2M though and only get relays and power for each socket. (and a pointless light entity to control both LEDs together)

I don’t have the dimensions of the Aurora Aone to hand, but you are correct, the depth of the socket would really be best suited in a 35mm back box. I will post them when I receive the new ones.

I have managed to get one in a 25mm back box that is on a ring, so 2 x 2.5mm T&E. Depending on your entry point to the back box, you have to have tails that are long enough to follow around the socket control box and into the terminals. The depth of the socket in a 25mm back box does not leave enough room for a T&E cable to be routed between the socket and the back box as would be the case on a standard socket.

Dimensions here:

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Hi Folks ,

I had a chap in a few weeks back to quote for some additional rings (car charger being installed yada yada). I showed him the bunch of Click-Smart+ sockets I’d bought (to check if they’d be okay to pass the certification he was going to do afterwards). His guidance was to look for CE (which at least says the manufacturer “says” they’ve done appropriate testing), BS1363 (UK socket/plug standards) and EN62368 (UK standard covering RF/EMF/IT standards) to make them certification-worthy. I think the latter two standards are both now succeeded by BS1634-1 and EN62368-1? Luckily, the ClickSmart+ stuff has that but I’m now jealous of the Aone sockets having that AND current sensing on top! (the list of EN codes is in their catalogue description)

As a corollary, I bought some EnerJ sockets last year when dabbling with HA. They were a bit tacky and fragile but the killer was that Amazon recalled them for safety issues the month after. They had CE and RoHS. I guess it was a toss-up whether they’d burn only or melt my face off with toxic fumes as well. ::

Having said all that, I have yet to find a solution to the ultimate requirement… does the Significant Other like the buttons enough to let me install them. ::

Regards,
Keith