Electricity Rates - xante8088/kasa-monitor GitHub Wiki

Electricity Rates Configuration

Complete guide to setting up and managing electricity rate structures in Kasa Monitor.

Understanding Rate Types

Simple/Flat Rate

Single rate for all consumption:

Type: Simple
Rate: $0.12 per kWh
Total Cost = kWh × Rate

Example:
  100 kWh × $0.12 = $12.00

When to use:

Your utility charges a flat rate
Simplified cost tracking
No time-based variations

Time-of-Use (TOU) Rates

Different rates based on time of day:

Type: Time-of-Use
Peak Hours (6 AM - 10 PM): $0.15/kWh
Off-Peak (10 PM - 6 AM): $0.08/kWh
Weekends: $0.10/kWh (all day)

Example:
  Weekday: 60 kWh peak + 40 kWh off-peak
  Cost: (60 × $0.15) + (40 × $0.08) = $12.20

When to use:

Utility offers TOU pricing
Ability to shift usage
Save money by timing usage

Tiered/Block Rates

Rates change based on total usage:

Type: Tiered
Tier 1 (0-500 kWh): $0.10/kWh
Tier 2 (501-1000 kWh): $0.12/kWh  
Tier 3 (1000+ kWh): $0.15/kWh

Example (750 kWh total):
  First 500: 500 × $0.10 = $50.00
  Next 250: 250 × $0.12 = $30.00
  Total: $80.00

When to use:

Progressive rate structure
Incentivizes conservation
Common in many regions

Seasonal Rates

Different rates by season:

Type: Seasonal
Summer (Jun-Sep): $0.14/kWh
Winter (Dec-Mar): $0.11/kWh
Spring/Fall: $0.12/kWh

With TOU overlay:
  Summer Peak: $0.18/kWh
  Summer Off-Peak: $0.10/kWh
  Winter Peak: $0.13/kWh
  Winter Off-Peak: $0.08/kWh

Configuration Guide

Accessing Rate Settings

Click Settings (⚙️) in header
Select "Electricity Rates"
Choose your rate structure
Enter rate details
Save configuration

Simple Rate Setup

1. Select "Simple/Flat Rate"
2. Enter rate per kWh: [0.12]
3. Select currency: [USD]
4. Add taxes/fees: [8.5%] (optional)
5. Click "Save"

Time-of-Use Setup

1. Select "Time-of-Use"
2. Define time periods:
   
   Peak Hours:
   - Start: [06:00]
   - End: [22:00]
   - Rate: [0.15]
   - Days: [Mon-Fri]
   
   Off-Peak Hours:
   - Start: [22:00]
   - End: [06:00]
   - Rate: [0.08]
   - Days: [Mon-Sun]
   
   Weekend Rate:
   - Rate: [0.10]
   - Days: [Sat-Sun]
   
3. Click "Save"

Tiered Rate Setup

1. Select "Tiered/Block"
2. Configure tiers:
   
   Tier 1:
   - From: [0] kWh
   - To: [500] kWh
   - Rate: [0.10]
   
   Tier 2:
   - From: [501] kWh
   - To: [1000] kWh
   - Rate: [0.12]
   
   Tier 3:
   - From: [1001] kWh
   - To: [Unlimited]
   - Rate: [0.15]
   
3. Billing cycle: [Monthly]
4. Reset day: [1st]
5. Click "Save"

Advanced Configuration

Demand Charges

For commercial accounts:

Configuration:
  Energy Charge: $0.08/kWh
  Demand Charge: $15/kW
  Measurement: 15-minute peak
  Billing: Monthly maximum

Example:
  Energy: 1000 kWh × $0.08 = $80
  Peak Demand: 5.2 kW × $15 = $78
  Total: $158

Taxes and Fees

Add additional charges:

Base Rate: $0.12/kWh
Taxes:
  State Tax: 5%
  Local Tax: 3.5%
  
Fees:
  Delivery: $0.02/kWh
  Renewable Energy: $0.005/kWh
  Grid Maintenance: $5/month (fixed)

Total Rate: $0.145/kWh + $5

Net Metering

For solar installations:

Configuration:
  Buy Rate: $0.12/kWh
  Sell Rate: $0.08/kWh
  True-up Period: Annual
  Banking: Yes

Calculation:
  Consumed: 500 kWh × $0.12 = $60
  Generated: 300 kWh × $0.08 = -$24
  Net Bill: $36

Rate Schedules

Holiday Rates

Configure special day rates:

Holidays:
  - New Year's Day: Off-peak all day
  - July 4th: Off-peak all day
  - Thanksgiving: Off-peak all day
  - Christmas: Off-peak all day

Override: Regular TOU schedule

Critical Peak Pricing

Event-based pricing:

CPP Events:
  Trigger: Utility notification
  Rate: $0.50/kWh
  Duration: 2-6 PM
  Max Events: 15/year
  Notice: 24 hours

Regular Days: Standard TOU

Real-Time Pricing

Dynamic hourly rates:

Source: Utility API
Update: Hourly
Display: Current and next hour
Alerts: When > $0.15/kWh
History: 30 days

Finding Your Rates

Utility Bill

Locate on your bill:

Your Electric Charges:
Generation: $0.0654/kWh
Transmission: $0.0234/kWh
Distribution: $0.0298/kWh
Other: $0.0014/kWh
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Total: $0.12/kWh

Utility Website

Steps to find rates:

Visit utility website
Search "electric rates" or "tariffs"
Find residential rates
Look for rate schedule (PDF)
Note your rate plan name

Common Utilities

Quick links to major utilities:

Rate Comparison

Analyzing Rate Options

Compare different plans:

Current: Flat Rate
  Monthly Cost: $120
  
Option 1: TOU
  If shift 30% to off-peak: $108
  Savings: $12/month
  
Option 2: Tiered
  At current usage: $115
  Savings: $5/month

Optimization Calculator

Built-in tool calculates:

Best rate for your usage
Potential savings
Required behavior changes
Break-even points

Examples by Region

California (PG&E)

Plan: TOU-C
Peak (4-9 PM): $0.40/kWh
Off-Peak: $0.28/kWh
Super Off-Peak (12-6 AM): $0.18/kWh
Baseline Credit: -$0.08/kWh (first 300 kWh)

Texas (Deregulated)

Provider: Various
Fixed Rate: $0.09-0.12/kWh
Variable Rate: Market-based
Free Nights: $0.15 day, $0 night
Solar Buyback: Available

New York (ConEd)

Service Class: SC-1
Summer (Jun-Sep): $0.24/kWh
Winter (Oct-May): $0.18/kWh
Delivery: $0.08/kWh
Taxes: ~8%

Rate Management

Updating Rates

When to update:

Utility rate change (usually annual)
Plan change
Seasonal transitions
Moving to new location

How to update:

Go to Settings → Electricity Rates
Click "Edit Current Rate"
Update values
Set effective date
Save changes

Rate History

Track rate changes:

History:
2024-01-01: $0.11/kWh → $0.12/kWh
2023-06-01: TOU implemented
2023-01-01: $0.10/kWh → $0.11/kWh

Multiple Rates

For multiple locations:

Location 1 (Home):
  Rate: TOU
  Peak: $0.15/kWh
  
Location 2 (Office):
  Rate: Commercial
  Demand: Yes
  
Location 3 (Rental):
  Rate: Flat
  Include: In rent

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Costs don't match bill:

Check rate configuration
Verify billing period alignment
Include all taxes/fees
Check for proration

TOU not calculating correctly:

Verify time zone setting
Check peak hour definition
Confirm weekday/weekend rules
Review holiday schedule

Tiered rates wrong:

Check tier boundaries
Verify reset date
Confirm cumulative calculation
Check billing cycle

Rate Validation

Test your configuration:

# API test
curl -X POST http://localhost:5272/api/rates/test \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "kwh": 750,
    "date": "2024-01-15",
    "time": "18:00"
  }'

# Expected: $XX.XX

Best Practices

Accuracy: Use exact rates from bill
Updates: Check rates quarterly
Documentation: Save rate schedules
Validation: Compare with actual bills
Optimization: Review usage patterns

API Configuration

Get Current Rates

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  http://localhost:5272/api/rates

Update Rates

curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "rate_type": "tiered",
    "currency": "USD",
    "rate_structure": {
      "tier1_limit": 500,
      "tier1_rate": 0.10,
      "tier2_limit": 1000,
      "tier2_rate": 0.12,
      "tier3_rate": 0.15
    }
  }' \
  http://localhost:5272/api/rates

Cost Analysis - Using rate data
Energy Monitoring - Consumption tracking
Dashboard Overview - Cost display
API Documentation - Rate endpoints

Resources

Document Version: 1.0.0
Last Updated: 2025-08-20
Review Status: Current
Change Summary: Initial version tracking added

Electricity Rates - xante8088/kasa-monitor GitHub Wiki

Electricity Rates Configuration

Understanding Rate Types

Simple/Flat Rate

Time-of-Use (TOU) Rates

Tiered/Block Rates

Seasonal Rates

Configuration Guide

Accessing Rate Settings

Simple Rate Setup

Time-of-Use Setup

Tiered Rate Setup

Advanced Configuration

Demand Charges

Taxes and Fees

Net Metering

Rate Schedules

Holiday Rates

Critical Peak Pricing

Real-Time Pricing

Finding Your Rates

Utility Bill

Utility Website

Common Utilities

Rate Comparison

Analyzing Rate Options

Optimization Calculator

Examples by Region

California (PG&E)

Texas (Deregulated)

New York (ConEd)

Rate Management

Updating Rates

Rate History

Multiple Rates

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Rate Validation

Best Practices

API Configuration

Get Current Rates

Update Rates

Related Pages

Resources