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An app for good real time electricity monitoring? Hugo? Bright? Loop or what?

stripling
stripling Posts: 386
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I've taken the great leap forward (I hope) and divorced 🐙 (I need counselling, I did like them but they cost me too much). 🥲
I'm with Fuse Energy as of tomorrow. 

So, seeing as I have a heat pump and an all-electric home - which app will allow me the best real time monitoring of my electricity use (I've been spoiled by my 🐙 mini). 

Maybe the Fuse app will be ok but seeing as 🐙 already nuked my data this afternoon, I'd like a plan B? It's how I keep tabs on my heat pump and it has all worked very well until today. 

What do you recommend? I'm thinking reliability, accuracy, etc., I'm only on a simple fixed tariff so no need for time-of-use gymnastics. Thank you. 
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  • masonic
    masonic Posts: 30,905
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    edited 10 February 2025 at 7:09AM
    I use Bright, and also signed up for Fuse *Loop so that I can download consumption data via N3rgy.
  • lohr500
    lohr500 Posts: 1,647
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    I guess it depends how much real time data you need. 

    Bright is great if you can live with a few hours delay in the consumption reporting, but no good for real time data. 

    Do you still have the original IHD?

    Our IHD has never worked since switching to an EDF tou tariff years ago, with subsequent switches to Tomato Energy and UW since.

    I ended up buying a cheap 2nd hand wireless real time monitor off eBay for £15 that uses a CT clamp around the meter live wire. It is fine for seeing the real time total consumption.
  • TroubledTarts
    TroubledTarts Posts: 1,032
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    edited 9 February 2025 at 7:18PM
    What deal did you get with fuse and was it better than trying Cosy with Octopus?

    Real time data is via an in home display or Octopus mini which obviously won't work now 
  • stripling
    stripling Posts: 386
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    masonic said:
    I use Bright, and also signed up for Fuse so that I can download consumption data via N3rgy.
    I'm just looking at Bright - do you use their Display kit as well? The Fuse app may be ok - I'll see.  It's hourly rather than half hourly isn't it? In which case that's probably fine.

    How frequently does Bright update? 
  • stripling
    stripling Posts: 386
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    lohr500 said:
    I guess it depends how much real time data you need. 

    Bright is great if you can live with a few hours delay in the consumption reporting, but no good for real time data. 

    Do you still have the original IHD?

    Our IHD has never worked since switching to an EDF tou tariff years ago, with subsequent switches to Tomato Energy and UW since.

    I ended up buying a cheap 2nd hand wireless real time monitor off eBay for £15 that uses a CT clamp around the meter live wire. It is fine for seeing the real time total consumption.
    I had the 🐙 Mini which was perfect for my needs. It enabled me to fine tune my heat pump on pure weather compensation so it now runs automatically with no room thermostat. I never had an IHD.

    Is it easy to fit the clamp? Or would I need a spark? I looked at the Shelly EM but couldn't afford the extra £120 call out for our local electrician.. 

  • stripling
    stripling Posts: 386
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    What deal did you get with fuse and was it better than trying Cosy with Octopus?

    Real time data is via an in home display or Octopus mini which obviously won't work now 
    Er yes, I know what/how real time data is and how it works, which is why I'm asking about the apps. 😁

    I have been running the 🐙 Compare app in various permutations. The Cosy tariff wasn't going to do me any favours - I don't have batteries or solar and I'm not playing on/off games with my heat pump. 
    Fuse beat nearly all of them except for the more lairy deals. It had ok reviews too.
    (I started a thread on this last week if you are interested?) 
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 25,334
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    stripling said:
    Is it easy to fit the clamp? Or would I need a spark? I looked at the Shelly EM but couldn't afford the extra £120 call out for our local electrician.
    Something like an Envi CC128 is designed to be fitted by the householder. They've been discontinued for a decade or more but they were given away by energy suppliers back before smart meters were a thing, and they still crop up on eBay.

    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec / Fuse gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Kirk Hill Co-op member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 37 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Ecoflow Stream, Best kettle :-)
  • molerat
    molerat Posts: 36,628
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    stripling said:

    Is it easy to fit the clamp? Or would I need a spark? I looked at the Shelly EM but couldn't afford the extra £120 call out for our local electrician.. 

    The clamps simply clip round the live out meter cable.

    Never associate with idiots on their own level, because, being an intelligent man, you'll try to deal with them on their level - and on their level they'll beat you every time.

    Being hated by idiots is the price you pay for not being one of them.

    Jean Cocteau 1889-1963

  • stripling
    stripling Posts: 386
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    @QrizB
    British Gas? I just did a wee search.  They do look antique but may be really helpful if I don't have to risk electrocuting myself. Thank you. 
  • stripling
    stripling Posts: 386
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    molerat said:
    stripling said:

    Is it easy to fit the clamp? Or would I need a spark? I looked at the Shelly EM but couldn't afford the extra £120 call out for our local electrician.. 

    The clamps simply clip round the live out meter cable.

    Lol... I'm always wary when guys say 'you simply'... As in "you simply copy the GitHub code and blah blah blah... ". 😵‍💫 😂  
     
    Thank you. Literally like a clothes peg over the top of the cable? No paring wire covers off or exposing metal or opening boxes? Could I clip it straight onto a heat pump live out? How do I identify the 'live out'? 
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