I’ve always been fascinated by the potential of smart home technology to help us live more efficiently and sustainably. Recently, I embarked on a project to optimize my home’s energy consumption using a Tibber smart meter and some clever automation flows. I wanted to create a system that would monitor my power usage in real-time and automatically adjust heating systems to prevent overconsumption during peak periods.
The journey started with setting up the Tibber meter, which provided a clear view of my home’s energy usage. I then worked on creating a series of flows to automate the process. The goal was to have the system check power consumption every few minutes and take action if it exceeded a certain threshold.
One of the key challenges was figuring out how to store and reference the power consumption data throughout the flow. After some research and experimentation, I discovered that using variables was the solution. This allowed me to reference the Tibber meter’s readings consistently across different stages of the automation process.
The automation now works like this: if power consumption reaches 7100W, the system waits for 5 minutes and checks again. If it’s still above the threshold, heating cables are disabled to reduce load. After another 5-minute wait, if consumption drops below 7100W, the system waits once more before safely reconnecting the heating systems. It’s been incredibly satisfying to see this system in action, automatically optimizing energy use without any manual intervention.
This project has not only helped me reduce energy waste but also given me a deeper appreciation for the capabilities of smart home automation. I’m excited to continue exploring new ways to make my home smarter and more efficient. If anyone has similar projects or tips for improving energy monitoring, I’d love to hear about them!