Comparing your energy monitor’s measured data with the usage data provided by your utility company can help ensure you’re accurately capturing your total energy consumption. This process can identify discrepancies and confirm that your monitoring setup is functioning as expected.
Step 1: Verify Your Energy Monitor Timezone
Confirm that the energy monitor’s time zone matches your utility provider’s billing cycle time zone. This ensures you’re comparing data from the same periods. If you need to adjust your devices' timezone setting - see this article for details.
Step 2: Export Your Energy Data
Export Your CSV Data
Follow the steps outlined in the CSV Exports Guide to request and download your data.
After receiving the email link, download the
.zipfile. It contains multiple CSV files with data in varying time resolutions (daily, hourly, etc.).
Choose the Appropriate File
Daily Utility Billing: Use the
1DAYfile for a day-by-day comparison.Partial-Day Billing Cycles: Use the
1HOURfile for hourly granularity, ensuring precise comparisons for irregular billing periods.
Step 3: Process Your Data
For this example, we’ll use Google Sheets, but you can use Excel or another spreadsheet program.
Combine Mains Sensors
Identify the columns corresponding to your "mains" sensors.
Add a new column to the right of the last "mains" column.
Use a formula to sum these columns, creating a "Total Usage" column that represents the combined energy consumption from all mains.
Summarize Data for the Billing Period
Sum the "Total Usage" column for the time period that matches your utility provider’s billing cycle.
Ensure the timeframe aligns exactly with the dates provided on your utility bill.
Step 4: Compare Results
Compare the total usage from your CSV export to the total usage reported on your utility bill:
Accuracy Range: Your measurements should typically fall within ±2% of the utility-provided usage for the same period.
Discrepancies: If the difference exceeds 2%, it may indicate a configuration issue, missing data, or a monitoring error.
Tips for Accurate Comparisons
Adjust for Partial Days: If your billing cycle starts or ends mid-day, account for this in your calculations by using hourly data.
Check Sensor Placement: Ensure that your sensors are correctly installed and capturing all relevant energy usage.
Feedback and Suggestions
Our goal is to provide clear, actionable guidance to help you manage your energy effectively. If this article wasn’t helpful or if you have suggestions for improvement, please contact Emporia Customer Support. Your feedback helps us refine and improve our knowledge base.