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[VIC] Powerpal Power Meter for Metro Melbourne, Geelong and Ballarat Residents $0 (Was $129) @ Powerpal

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Over 35,000 free Powerpal's have been claimed by Victorians with the service rated 5* across Google reviews and the app stores. The service is completely free thanks to funding under the Victorian Government's flagship energy upgrades program.

We saw a great response from OzBargain when this deal was first announced last year, so we just want to let the community know that the offer has been expanded to cover homes in Geelong and Ballarat (in addition to Melbourne metro areas). So if you haven't yet claimed yours jump on board!

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Referrers receive a $5 Gift Card.

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    • If you're only getting 10m range from the meter then something is seriously wrong! Have you tried connecting to your Powerpal from a different mobile device?

      If you believe your Powerpal may not be working correctly drop our support team a note via [email protected] and they'll be happy to help you out.

      • Thanks for this. The range for sure isnt as good as a Wifi router as it says on the page. My powerpal is the same, around 10 meters or so.

      • Mine is poor range too, barely works 10m away.

  • +2

    i have had this for months and it definitely help me plan my energy consumption better. Been able to reduce around 20% by just understanding my usage pattern. While I agree direct smart meter monitoring would be ideal, this is the best we could get for now. Victorian government are laggard to say the least

    • That's awesome - a 20% reduction is a fantastic result!

      Thanks for sharing. :)

    • What did you do diff

      • +4

        mainly dish washer, washing machine, and dryer. Was surprised they consumed so much energy. Base on what I learnt, I only start these during off peak or when it is sunny (i've got solar panels) if i can help it. powering off always on devices such as amp, console also help. didn't bother in the past since they consume very little but then the app reports how much always on adds up to.

        the "gamification" of such mundane thing makes it interesting. you are given a summary of your spend every week, peak consumption period throughout the day etc etc. it just encourages you to keep doing better

    • +1

      While I agree direct smart meter monitoring would be ideal

      You can register online to get readings from your smart meter. I have for AusNet and it is great. Gives me an hourly breakdown and see what the peaks are.

      • +1

        I have done the same with Jemena but I never login to it, powerpal app on my phone is easier

  • I got this thing installed, it would fairly occasionally bug out and keep the bluetooth prompt to connect to it and it is annoying, you hit connect, it doesn't connect, and prompt you again.. and again… and again… and again… and if you dont keep doing this until it finally connects, you'll lose data, which I thought wll just be stored in the device until the next time you connect to it but no, it's lost forever.

    Exporting data into csv is arbitrarily limited to 60 days worth and too bad if you didn't export prior data to that. Despite being able to see it in the app, the app will NOT let you export more than 60 days. Support's response is just a shrug. I had to point out their own support page said 90 days which they then had to amend.

    It's handy in the sense it is real time. turn on something and see exactly how much power that thing uses. It is not suitable for data people who do their analysis or comparison in spreadsheets.

    Since then I found my energy distributer Ausnet's own portal and I downloaded basically years of energy usage from there instead, if memory recalls. It also differs,albeit just a small difference, to powerpal's records.

    I'd personally give powerpal a skip and check your distributers portal.

    • @lawyerz:
      Its not exactly hard to do an Export at least once every 60 days? Stick a reminder in your Calendar.

      You wrote: It is not suitable for data people who do their analysis or comparison in spreadsheets.
      My Take: It is 100% amazing for doing this. It exports the Data in a .csv format and by the minute and in the correct format i.e. one row per minute.
      Without going into too much detail here but end result on my Spreadsheets are reports for many things, Daily,Weekly, Monthly, how much my current Bill will be based on last end date of last billing period. How my bill would compare to other providers…….the list goes on. Its an Excel persons dream.

      Energy Providers .csv exports are poorly configured and harder to work with (in Columns and not rows for each 30min increment per day where as Powerpal is by the minute). I do use these as well. The downside (for me) with Energy Providers is when they fail to take a Meter read, they then use "Estimated Data" until next read. Powerpal to the rescue here and I can supply them with the "Actual" data and pay based on it until next read.

      I trust the data from Powerpal more than my original Energy Provider who were giving me shonky bills. Powerpal data proved that their billing systems were miscalculating. That's a whole other story. Powerpal reader has many uses in my opinion.

      • As a data professional, literally my profession, it is completely retarded there's an arbitrary 60 day limit to exporting data while you can see it on the app. There's no option to choose date ranges to export, or data intervals either. If you miss the 60 day window, you can't get the data for the time period you missed, despite still being able to see it in the app - again, retarded.

        Do not use energy providers/retailer csv, use the energy distributer's csv, there is no estimate data in there.

        My comment around not suitable around analysis in excel is if you wanted 12 months of energy usage to analyse, you will have to manually export at least 7 times in a year, and copy paste into a single consolidated spreadsheet. Considering the breakdown is by the minute, that gives you 525,600 rows for 12 months usage. Perfectly manageable in Excel I'm sure, but won't do 2 years as that'll exceed 1m rows. Once again, no option to choose a custom date range, or a larger time interval - retarded. Manual effort to copy paste into consolidated spreadsheet = retarded. Manual calendar reminders to export from an app to copy paste into a consolidated spreadsheet = most retarded.

        I find Powerpal has its strong points, I like their real-time feedback when you turn something on/off. I appreciate the weekly usage reports, or helpful hints on my always on energy usage, it's app interface and visual/UI elements are excellent.

        However, the limited and crippled export function is unfortunate, lack of API, along with small, somewhat infrequent, extremely annoying connection bugs.

        There's also no integration into other smart devices, imagine the possibilities of real time energy usage factored into smart homes and routines. This is a device offering barebones functionality which is fine for it is free for VIC kinda, certainly wouldn't pay $129 for it, especially considering they monetize and sell your data to third parties and in the future might start get paid to offer you alternative plans (as per what mouth posted T&C's on page 1)

        • I strongly disagree. I am guessing only that you are not an Excel person nor know how to create Macros to run formulas to automates things? Thats fair enough and most people are not. As you are a Data Professional, then ultimately it is up to you to decide how to manage the data I would have thought? In turn find your comments surprising.

          In my case (as I do know Excel) I save the exported .csv and drop it into a working folder, run a Macro which checks for new files. This then imports the data and into correct format, Time to run = Under 1 min.
          I do this for Powerpal, Distributors and also Retailer .csv exports for cross checking purposes.

          As for 1 million rows (2 years for data by the minute). That's simple to deal with in two ways, either by using Excel Data Modeling OR just consolidate the per min data to match Distributor timing which is in 30 min increments. Again a Excel Macro can easily do that. So if in 30min blocks could handle 57 years of data!

          My point is that the fact that Powerpal offers the raw data in 1 min increments is fantastic. Perhaps down the line there will be improvements with pre made software for managing the data via a SqlLite DB with a local app OR for Powerpal as a company to offer a subscription service to retain long term data for a small fee? It's early days.

          Regardless, Powerpal doesn't advertise itself as being capable of doing this BUT the possibilities are there for some (like myself) and that's great. PowerPal offers an awful lot more reportwise compared to what Energy Distributors or Retailers currently do. Thats for sure! In my opinion, It's $129 well spent BUT do wish it was cheaper as many would not pay this.

        • Your wrote: Do not use energy providers/retailer csv, use the energy distributer's csv, there is no estimate data in there.

          That's incorrect. If the Distributor fails to take a reading then data provided is "Estimated" and not "Actual". It's a common issue due to lazy Distro reader staff failing to knock on the door to gain accsss to the meter. Happens all the time where I am and very frustrating. Not every one has a meter with a SIM that reports back to distributor with daily data use.

  • I wish NSW had something similar to this. I saw this pop up a while back on OzBargain and it seems like a great idea.

    • +1

      We're working hard on getting Powerpal accredited under the NSW Energy Saver Scheme, hopefully we'll have some positive news to share on that front later in the year. :)

      • That's great news. Thanks for the reply.

      • Anything in the pipeline for QLD residents?

    • Given how much backwards nsw and qld grid network are, dont hold your hope too high if you're still on the old spinning disc meter

  • +1

    Make sure you have access to the power meter if you are renting. In my case, i live in a town house, so there is a main power cabinet with all meters for the houses, but no one as the kay. Called the body corporate, they said the owner had them, called the owner, he said the real estate agent had them, then called the real estate agent and they told me the owners corporate has it. In the and i was not able to get this installed, even though i had a time scheduled, so make sure you DO have access and know the procedure to get those keys IN ADVANCE. Other than, that, this seemed like a really good product to get real time measurements and identify how much each item is consuming inside the house.

    • +1

      Locked meter cabinets are our nemesis!!!! We've recently updated our booking system to call out the need for a key more clearly.

      Unfortunately master keys are restricted only to the energy companies and the householder, 3rd party service providers can't get them. Believe me we've tried. :(

      • I know and it's such a shame. I also called the power company, but they said they have those but can only use them for emergencies, not to install a powerpal, and that the body corporate should have the keys. I think someone has the keys, but of course they don't want to give them, even though this accessory would be useful to have in their house. I will definitely get this device once i have my own house!

  • Does this interface with Home Assistant in any way?

  • No Apartments.

    • Unfortunately we generally can't do appartments - the meters are often located in a locked cabinet in the basement which is hard to access and a long way from the apartment itself (which makes signal range difficult).

  • After NUMEROUS install confirms ours was installed; clearly worth their while to pursue us.

    Requires zero technical skills to install; the powerpal app is very easy to navigate

    Lots of silly Government money being spent here, they should subsidise the purchase price, pick them up at Coles (one per address) and cut out the parasite middle man

    • Alan, oh how we wish we could just mail out the devices - it would make our lives (and yours) so much easier!

      But we have to work within the rules of the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, which requires all products available under the scheme (from hot water heaters to light globes) to be installed by an "accredited provider".

      Glad we managed to get an installer out to you and thanks for the positive feedback on the app!

  • +3

    Is there an API for this? I've got a big dataset for all my Xiaomi temperature monitors I've got scattered around the house. Would be good to see how energy consumption correlates with my aircons running.

  • I have one of those VPIL locks and no one has the key to it or the card. Do I have to arrange a replacement first ?

    • Unfortunately yes - keys are restricted only to the energy companies and the householder, 3rd party service providers can't get them. Believe me we've tried. :(

  • Does this work without the cloud or am I required to let you see what I'm doing at home?

    • Great question, I see powerpal has not responded to this poat

      • It does work without Internet i.e. shows current live data BUT if you need your Data History or reports over time, it needs to go to their Servers which does all the calcs and also allows you to download/export the .csv raw data file.

  • I live in NSW… can I have one?

  • Got it installed couple of weeks ago.. it does what it says.. app itself is nice n snappy.
    Kepp in mind that it runs on Bluetooth so if you're too far from Meyer you can not see the data, but when you connect again it downloads old data to the app.

    Also only one mobile can run it.. so it's time to decide who's the boss at your home

    • Thanks for the positive feedback!

      Worth noting that while a direct Bluetooth connection is only 1:1 other members of the household can also view data via the cloud, more details here: https://support.powerpal.net/hc/en-us/articles/360041444093-…

    • As noted in a comment I made above (2 hours ago). One device is the MASTER but if the App is installed on multiple devices, it will still get current use (up to a few mins ago) as the Master sends the Data back to PowerPal servers so the other devices will get data from there.

  • Had one installed late last year after lockdown was lifted. Quite a nifty little piece of tech. Helps identify sources of electrical usage and good for seeing trends. Will also eventually use it to see what size Solar panels I will require based on usage.

    • Thanks for the positive feedback - great to hear you're enjoying your Powerpal!

  • Don’t forget to use a referral.

    • Where does one get a referee code so I can add myself to the referral list?

      • -1

        Wait till you receive the product.

  • Hi OP,
    I got solar and a smart metre was installed with Fronius inverter.
    Can I still install Powerpal? If so, what are the benefits I can get out of it?
    Thanks!

    • Yes you can use Powerpal with your solar - check out this link for more details: https://support.powerpal.net/hc/en-us/articles/360026050553-…

    • Pretty much nothing, your fronius smart meter give you much more comprehensive data. Unless you're unhappy about some of small issues in solarweb app.

    • The Fronius + Smart Meter already gives you far more data than what Powerpal does. There's not benefit at all to installing one.

      • Sorry I might have misread this question - if you have the Fronius smart meter then you already have everything Powerpal can offer (and more!).

        However, if you only have a standard utility smart meter (not the aftermarket Fronius meter) then with Powerpal you'll be able to see your grid consumption, which can be very useful to optimise your solar self consumption as described in the article linked above.

    • Do you mean you have the Fronius consumption meter?

      If so, then this is of no use.

      If not, then this is still useful for checking instantaneous usage exceeding your solar generation. This is what I use it for.

  • Mine has complete outages where I used 0kw of power despite having the oven on, and it is completely inaccurate as to power costs. If it's free, it can't hurt. I was excited to see how much power I use per hour in realtime. Thee origin app already tracks hourly power usage but not as quick as this. It's far more accurate than the powerpal however

    • It generally stops working from 12-6 every day, so my power usage is about half of what it actually is

      • Have you got solar i.e. no reading from Powerpal due to nothing being taken from the grid?

        • I wish. We've barely got electricity haha

  • I can attest Powerpal has been great for our household.

    A few things to note:

    Because it is running on LE bluetooth, once you are outside the range, you won't be able to access the real life data on your say, mobile phone / tablet.

    The solution is to use older tablet or phone to constantly connect to Powerpal and your mobile phone to extract the data from the cloud. Not live data but better.

    However, in recent times, the older tablet / phone constantly lose connection to Powerpal resulting in 6 hours lag or at worst so far, 3 days of no data until I have manually override by connecting it to my Mobile Phone. It would appear Powerpal apps closes itself (despite background usage is turned on) once the screen shuts off and I am wondering if this is a known issue.

    • The Powerpal app will keep running unless it's closed, either manually or by the OS on your tablet or phone. Based on what you're described it would be worth checking the power saving settings on your device to make sure it's not closing the app down after a period of inactivity.

  • +1

    "The batteries in Powerpal are not user serviceable - please return your Powerpal to us for recycling once its batteries are exhausted or drop it off at any licensed E-waste processing facility."

    So here is the question:
    - How long does the battery last on most user?
    - Do we pay a full price to get a replacement after the device fail?

    • +3

      The design goal for Powerpal is that you will not need to change the batteries within its useful life - we estimate typical battery life in the region of 10 years.

      After this time hopefully we'll be well onto Powerpal V2 and (if the VEU program is still around) you'll be able to upgrade to the latest version for free again!

  • +1

    Yay thanks Rachel for using my referral link :)

  • +1

    send some to WA!

  • Tried to get one of these installed. The guy came around and said the power meter was too high and getting on a ladder was a risk and left.

    • Wow - your meter box must be very high up!!

      The VEU program requirements do prohibit installers from "working at heights" for this activity, so if a ladder is required for access then they unfortunately can't undertake the installation. Apologies!

      • Thanks for your reply. Understand about the regulations.

      • +1

        how high is "too high" ?

        • +4

          I saw a guy punch two cones in a row once and he seemed OK.

  • +1

    Come and do Warragul! I want one of these! Come to Gippsland and do some of the regional areas.

    • +1

      We've recently expanded to Geelong and Ballarat and looking to add more regional towns in the coming months!

      • +1

        That would be great. I am keen.

  • +2

    I had one of this installed . If you take it seriously and not as another freebie its really good.
    For instance , I could show proof and data points to win the debate that her cake mixer was consuming too much power.

    Install is plug and play and ideally DIY but no harm in another soul doing it

    • +1

      We would never like to see Powerpal being used to discourage home baking!!!

      Hopefully you found some other (less tasty) way to trim your energy consumption as well. :)

    • That's great! Prove it's cheaper to buy a $2.50 Madera cake from coles than to bake one

  • Has this ever actually been $129? I got mine installed like a year ago for free.

    Having said that, they are decent.

    The only wish I had would be if the app could be enhanced to display/alert for spot prices.

    • +1

      It is for those that are not in Vic. I paid $129 for one as I am in NSW

  • When will we get a FREE breath meter? :) @Powerpal

    • We'll log that as a feature request! :)

  • Few Question before I put in my details -

    1) In a rented house, will this powerpal once installed becomes the property of the owner or the renter? Can the renter take it when he moves out.
    2) How much energy does powerpal consume from the meter directly?
    3) What if the device dies early? What happens next?
    4) Are energy suppliers allowing this attachment to be installed directly without their approval? Will this be considered as meter tampering in future ever?
    5) How do I know if I have smart meter or not?
    6) You confirm this is $0 now and forever? No hidden clauses, monthly usage or hire charges in the future?

    • +2

      1) Powerpal is yours and you can take it with you if you move
      2) None, Powerpal is battery powered independently of the meter
      3) Contact us at [email protected] to claim under warranty (5 years)
      4) There is no modification to the meter or any electrical work required - the product is approved for installation by the Essential Services Commission
      5) If you live in Vic then you have a smart meter, otherwise check here: https://support.powerpal.net/hc/en-us/articles/360053176634-…
      6) Confirmed!

      • Interestingly, the answer to (1) is inconsistent with one I got when I emailed or called (from memory) - I think support said that the unit stays with the property, but you can just get one installed at the next property if there isn't one already there. (I have one installed at the new house now)

    • it reads the blinking LED on the meter…
      so it uses no power at all…

      i didnt know how it worked until after it was installed too :)

  • I sort of regret getting one because it absolutely adds nothing to how you use electricity. Thr novelty ends after around 1 day then its like meh.

    Also regret it because wish the device was zigbee enabled so it could integrate with other smart devices.

    • Good stuff. Can I PM you my address and if you wouldn;t mind sending it to me so :-)

      Personally I think they are brilliant. One can monitor total use over time and initially assists with knowing when one is using a lot of power unnecessarily.
      I have a personal Spreadsheet that I import the exported 60 Day .csv to hence have my own set of Historical Data and Graphs. Ultimately comes down to what one wants it for and perhaps is no use to your specific needs?.

      • I work in the Data & Analytics field, and still yet to find a real actionable use for them. I may find some in the future but just cant think of a great use for them right now.

        Other than maybe using my central aircon less. Other than that, the standard usage in our house is about $70pm for electricity.
        I mean how i see it is "Great, so turning on my lights take $X per hr" but i don't really see it as a actionable insight because I already turn off lights when i'm not in the room. So either I use the lights and pay $x but knowing it wont make me decrease necessary usage.

        They would be useful to compare to what your retailer is saying you are using, so you can see if they are overcharging or may have done a Data Migration to a new system and screwed up your usage.

        I do see a good usage though around tracking solar feed in if you have a solar energy system. Which would allow you to determine if a battery would help you save power for when you really use it.

        • It's not for everyone and more for those that have an interest in on the spot or general avg daily power use. For me, I originally purchased for a need.

          I suspected incorrect billing by my Retailer in that they were over calculating Kwh for periods i.e. over calc total used and that Kwh during Peak (expensive) was also wrong. My bills were very high.

          The Powerpal device assisted when my next bill arrived. I now knew exact power use for all periods. This then made me dig deeper by getting Ausgrids (Distributor NSW) Raw Data exports for the billing period and sure enough, they matched (within approx 1Kwh) of what my Powerpal reported.

          I now was able to (sucessfully) prove that the Retailers method of calculating time was incorrect and that they had a flaw in their billing systems (how many others have been over charged is what I wonder). They now have to explain and account for their actions………….not good at all. I since changed Retailer but my digging with them is ongoing as they need to be held accountable (being a major retailer).

          Beyond that, the Powerpal device is great as now I can ensure my bills are in fact correct without digging deep (as an approx guide). Sorry for the long reply :-)

  • +1

    I Didn’t qualify for a free one but i can say this is an awesome investment. Extremely accurate and the battery lasts for ages. I use it in place of a smart meter for my solar setup. Shows net import and much cheaper than installing a seperate smart metre.

    • Thanks for the positive feedback - great to hear you are enjoying your Powerpal!

  • have one - sometimes it doesnt connect via bluetooth, have to force close the app and reload…
    running android note10+

    not sure if its a bug or anything i can do to fix it.

    works great thou when it loads
    highly recomended

    • +1

      I have a note 10+ too. Never had an issue with the app. Seems to work anywhere inside my house, but my house isn't that big.

      I'm actually impressed by the Bluetooth range even through walls.

  • I bought my own for full price (QLD) and attached it. Wonderful little device.

    • Thanks for the kind feedback - great to hear you are enjoying your Powerpal!

      • By the way, will there ever be a product that enables integration possibilities?

        I would love to track power analytics from a home server which is up 24/7 so I don't have to be in BT range.

  • I requested one ages ago (last year). Still haven't heard anything yet….

  • Come to NSW. :D

  • Had this since last December,IMO its quite handy, but wish it had WiFi connectivity. I understand the need to have a low energy BT device inthe meter box, but they could have easily provided an inexpensive accompanying mains powered WiFi adaptor that can be kept inside the house to relay data from the BT device to the cloud instead of relying on a smartphone.

  • These look like they can easily be stolen…

    • Why would anyone want to considering they are free?

      • +4

        Ask the junkies that steal random stuff?

        People are idiots.. they'll steal low value stuff and high value stuff.

        Just because it's free to YOU doesn't mean the thief knows this

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