Powerpal Home Energy Monitor and Phone App

Take Back Control of Your Electricity Consumption

Powerpal gives you clear and detailed insights into your electricity consumption.

It measures your whole property's electricity usage and provides easy access to this data on your phone. You'll even receive an automated analysis of your weekly power usage and never receive a surprise power bill again.

Here's why you'll love the Powerpal:

• It works with your existing digital electricity meter, plus any Apple or Android smartphone.
• You can access live and historical data via the app.
• It's accurate and customisable to your situation.

Whether for your home or business, Powerpal is a great way to track your energy usage. It even works in unit blocks where your electricity meter is within two storeys of your dwelling.

Powerpal: An Easy to Use Energy Monitor

The Powerpal hardware and app are both easy to set-up and use. Here's a quick overview of the main screen on the Powerpal app:

Settings and Tariffs. In this section, you can enter your electricity tariffs and other settings. It's the only energy monitor that we know of that accommodates the full complexity of Australian electricity tariffs. Pre-set fields make it straightforward to enter anything from daily usage charges to time of use tariffs.

Display Options. Here you can switch between the energy clock, line graph, bar chart, or table of hourly data.

Live Energy Usage. This section shows your current electricity consumption in real-time. The numbers typically update within a few seconds.

Energy Clock. The energy clock is Powerpal's neat way of showing power usage over a whole day. You can quickly hone in on times when your power usage is highest. If the energy clock is not your thing, choose another option from the display settings as outlined above.

Daily Totals. This section allows you to scroll through your recent usage history. It shows your daily total electricity cost in dollars and consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh).

Historical Data. Just below the daily total, you can see an entire month's worth of data. Click on any day, and you can view energy usage on that day. There is no limit to how far back you can view this detailed data. The Powerpal app stores this information from the day you set it up.

Monthly Tracker. For a bigger picture view, take a look at your monthly totals. Like the daily view above, you can scroll back in time to view older data. This historical data can be displayed in dollars or kWh.

A New Approach to Energy Monitoring

Powerpal is an Australian invention which takes a new approach to energy monitoring.

Powerpal uses an optical sensor which attaches to the front face of your electricity meter. It then sends this data directly to your smartphone. Powerpal uses a new form of Bluetooth which can transmit data up to 100 metres.

The transmitter which sits at your meter board is fully sealed and weatherproof. It comes pre-installed with a battery designed to last for ten years.

The transmitter itself can store data for up to 60 days. So even if you go away on holidays for a few weeks, the data will update to your phone when you return.

Install Yourself - No Electrician Required

Powerpal works with any utility meter or electrical sub-meter with a 'pulse output'. A pulse output is an LED light that flashes in sync with your electricity consumption.

TIP: To make your meter's LED start flashing rapidly, switch on a kettle or other large electrical load. Here's how easy the Powerpal is to install:

If your smart meter does not have an LED indicator, then it may not be compatible. In these cases, we recommend you buy a different type of wireless energy monitor.

See the images section at the top of this page for more installation and metering examples.

 

How Powerpal Works With Solar Panels

If you have solar power we recommend you check the LED at two times of day to understand how your meter works:

1. At night, when you are importing power from the grid.
2. On a sunny day, when you are exporting power.

In most cases - the LED stops flashing when solar power exceeds household consumption. In this case, Powerpal reports NET household electricity consumption. This is quite useful as it helps you get the most out of your solar panels and minimise usage at all other times of the day.

In some cases - the LED flashes for both imported and exported power. This situation is a little more confusing. It means Powerpal will report exported power during the day, and imported power at night (but with no distinction).

Specifications - Powerpal Power Monitor

Power Supply	Pre-installed non-replaceable battery
Battery Lifetime	10 years
Transmitter Range	Up to 100 metres
Transmission Frequency	Bluetooth Low Energy 2.5 GHz
3 Phase Compatible	Yes (provided one meter measures all 3 phases)
Tariffs	Full tariff control, including time-of-use tariffs, single fixed tariffs, daily usage charge, and discounts.
Accuracy	Within 1%
Impulse Rate	Supports any impulse rate. Note '1000 imp/kWh' can also be stated as '1 Wh/imp'.
Dimensions	Transmitter = 8cm (H) x 5cm (W) x 1.6cm (D) Lead length = 200cm
Weight	100 grams
Installation	Self Installation
Warranty	2 Years
Product Identifiers	Powerpal / Power Pal. Model PPL-002, 936998035274 (barcode)

 

Powerpal Support and FAQ

I don't have a smart meter, can I use Powerpal?

Powerpal only works with smart or digital electricity meters as described above. It does not work with 'spinning disk' meters.

If you have an old-fashioned mechanical meter you have three options:

1. Buy a different type of wireless energy monitor that uses CT sensor clamps.
2. Ask your electricity retailer to upgrade your meter. They are required to do so within three weeks, and some will install it at no cost.
3. Install an electrical sub-meter on the circuit (or entire property) that you wish to monitor. Then attach the Powerpal's sensor to the pulse output on the sub-meter.

Can I connect multiple devices to Powerpal?

Yes. To connect another phone or tablet:

• Disable Bluetooth on the already connected device(s).
• Connect the new device.
• Re-enable Bluetooth on all devices.

If multiple devices are within Bluetooth range, one of them will become the 'main device'. This device gets instant updates and relays data to the other phones or tablets. As a result, these 'other devices' lag the real-time data by about one minute.

Can I use it as a remote energy monitor?

Yes. Using the approach described above, connect a tablet or old phone that can stay within Bluetooth range at all times. Your other connected devices will have data relayed to them via the internet, wherever they are.

Can I use it to check how much individual appliances consume?

Yes. With the app open, turn any appliance on and off and observe the difference in power usage or cost. Powerpal responds within a few seconds to any change in power draw.

As your electricity usage increases, the Powerpal app changes colour.

To monitor individual appliances more closely, we also recommend using a plug-in Power Meter.

What's in the Powerpal kit?

You will receive everything you need with your order, including:

• 1 x Powerpal transmitter & optical sensor. The transmitter has a strong magnetic base you can stick it on the outside of your meter box.
• 1 x Metal mounting bracket and screws. Handy if your meter box is not metal, or where you do not have a meter box.
• 3 x Mounting plates to suit all electricity meters.
• 1 x Alcohol wipe to clean your electricity meter before sticking the above mounting plate on it.
• 1 x Unique card with serial number and six-digit pairing code. These two codes are used together to ensure your data is secure at all times. You enter both codes when you set-up the app on your phone for the first time.

Where can I download the Powerpal app? Is it free?

Yes - the Powerpal app is free. In other words, your purchase of the device on this page covers the cost of the app.