Key Takeaways
- Our first pick is the Emporia Vue 3 with 16 branch sensors at $199.99, for seeing both total home use and individual circuits.
- Shelly offers local monitoring and automation, but its $154.99 kit uses 120A sensors. Match the sensor configuration to your electrical service.
- Refoss is a circuit-monitoring alternative with local access, but its official store currently lists the EM16P as backordered.
- Aeotec's $95.99 meter requires a compatible Z-Wave controller. eGauge's $833.38 price excludes current sensors.
- These are Emporia's editorial recommendations, based on published specifications and prices checked October 30, 2026, not independent hands-on test scores.
A high electricity bill tells you what you spent. A useful energy monitor shows where to look next: the air conditioner, water heater, EV charger or the rest of the house.
Our first recommendation is the Emporia Vue 3 Home Energy Monitor with 16 branch sensors. For $199.99, that configuration measures your home’s total use and the individual circuits you choose. If keeping data on your own network matters more, Shelly and eGauge deserve a look. Already have a Z-Wave smart-home system? Aeotec offers another route.
This is Emporia’s buying guide, and the Vue 3 is our product. The order is an editorial recommendation based on useful monitoring detail, configured cost, data access and installation needs. It is not an independent hands-on test or a numerical score. Prices and availability were checked October 30, 2026; required extras are called out rather than hidden in a starting price.
Six Home Energy Monitors Compared
Prices exclude installation, tax and shipping. Sensor quantities describe the configuration shown. A meter-only price is not a complete installation budget.
| Rank | Monitor | Price and Configuration | What You Can See | Main Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emporia Vue 3 (Our Monitor) | $199.99 with 16 branch sensors | Home total and individual circuits | Internet connection for app and cloud data |
| 2 | Shelly Pro 3EM | $154.99, 120A V2 kit; $329.99, 400A version | Three measurement channels | Match CT rating; professional installation |
| 3 | Eyedro Home | US $179 with two 200A sensors | Mains or selected circuits | Longer history needs renewal after two years |
| 4 | Refoss EM16P | $199.99 regular; $169.99 sale | Mains and branch circuits | Backordered at the official store |
| 5 | Aeotec Home Energy Meter 8 | $95.99 for US 2P200A meter | Aggregate home consumption and production | Compatible Z-Wave controller required |
| 6 | eGauge Core | $833.38 meter only | Up to 15 sensor inputs | Sensors and installation cost extra |
Whole-home totals and circuit readings answer different questions. Totals show when demand rises; circuit sensors help you narrow down which load caused it. Neither automatically names every appliance sharing a circuit. Solar monitoring also uses measurement channels, so check the configuration for your mains, generation and branch circuits together.
1. Emporia Vue 3: Our Pick for Circuit Visibility
- Two 200A main sensors plus sixteen 50A branch sensors
- Whole-home and circuit readings in the free Emporia app
- Solar monitoring and Emporia energy-management features
- Good For
- Finding which circuits are using electricity and following changes in the same app.
- Poor Fit For
- A home that needs monitoring and stored data to work entirely without an internet connection.
The Vue 3 is our first pick for a homeowner who wants to move from a whole-house number to specific circuits. The 16-sensor configuration is the one priced here; cheaper versions do not include all sixteen branch sensors. Its app and cloud storage require internet access.
It also connects monitoring with our energy-management features, including excess-solar charging and peak-demand management. Choose the sensors around the circuits you want to understand, including solar where applicable.
See which circuits are driving your electricity use.
Compare Vue 3 sensor packages for the parts of your home you want to monitor.
2. Shelly Pro 3EM: For Local Data and Automation
- Three 120A current transformers included
- Local network access and on-device history
- DIN-rail mounting; Wi-Fi and Ethernet
- Good For
- A technical homeowner or installer who wants local readings and automation options.
- Poor Fit For
- Expecting the 120A package to suit any service, or needing sixteen branch channels from one meter.
Shelly’s appeal is control over where your data lives. Its local interface and integration support let it work on your network without relying on a cloud dashboard. Physical load switching needs separate equipment; the meter has no built-in relay.
The 120A V2 kit is $154.99, while the separate 400A version is $329.99. Both were in stock when checked. Have an electrician select the correct configuration and install it. Do not count channels used for mains as additional branch-circuit monitoring.
3. Eyedro Home: For Tracking Overall Use
- Two measurement ports for mains or selected circuits
- Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection
- Two-year Standard license included
- Good For
- Following overall electricity use without installing a bank of branch sensors.
- Poor Fit For
- Comparing many circuits separately, or expecting long cloud history indefinitely without renewal.
The Eyedro Home kit includes two 200A sensors and an external power adapter. Its limited channel count makes it a different proposition from a sixteen-branch monitor: choose mains coverage or the circuits you want to measure.
Read the history terms before comparing ongoing costs. Standard is included for two years. Annual renewal preserves longer history; without an active license, storage and access are limited to 62 days. Basic monitoring does not require that renewal.
4. Refoss EM16P: A Local-Access Circuit Monitor
- Two mains sensors plus sixteen branch sensors
- Local web access, API and MQTT
- Optional free cloud history at daily resolution
- Good For
- Comparing individual circuits while keeping local access to your readings.
- Poor Fit For
- An installation that needs an immediately available kit or a confirmed delivery date.
Refoss combines a large sensor count with local access. The US EM16P kit includes two mains sensors and sixteen branch sensors. It can operate offline without a cloud account, and its local interface, API and MQTT support make it an option for a home automation setup.
The official store lists it as backordered, with shipment when stock returns. That is why it sits below the readily available options here. Its free cloud history extends to five years at daily resolution; that does not mean five years of minute-by-minute readings. Confirm the sensor fit and installation requirements before ordering.
5. Aeotec Home Energy Meter 8: For an Existing Z-Wave Setup
- US 2P200A version with two 200A clamps
- Reports consumption and production over Z-Wave
- History and remote access depend on your controller
- Good For
- Adding whole-home readings to a compatible Z-Wave system you already use.
- Poor Fit For
- Buying a standalone app-and-meter package or wanting many individual circuit readings.
The US two-clamp Home Energy Meter 8 costs $95.99, but it requires a compatible Z-Wave controller. If you already own one, that can make Aeotec an economical way to add aggregate home readings. If you do not, include the controller in your budget before comparing prices.
The meter sends readings to that controller. History retention, remote access and any associated service charges depend on the platform you choose. The two-clamp US configuration is the one shown here; do not substitute a different regional or three-phase version when ordering.
6. eGauge Core: For a Configured Monitoring System
- Fifteen sensor inputs with separately selected CTs
- Ethernet, local web interface and data logging
- Core data access without a vendor service contract
- Good For
- An installer-designed monitoring system that needs local data and configurable inputs.
- Poor Fit For
- A simple consumer kit with sensors included at a low upfront price.
The eGauge Core is the specialist choice in this list. Its local interface, logger and API suit a more deliberately configured installation, but the $833.38 price is for the meter. Current transformers, installation and any required enclosure or protection add to the total.
Its fifteen sensor inputs are a shared allowance, not fifteen branch circuits on top of mains monitoring. Using two inputs for split-phase mains leaves thirteen for other connected sensors in that configuration. Choose the current transformers with your installer. Local logging avoids a mandatory cloud subscription, while the detail retained in history varies with the age of the readings.
Choose the Monitor Around the Question You Want to Answer
Want to find which circuits are driving your bill? Start with a circuit-monitoring package such as our Vue 3. Need local data access? Compare Shelly, Refoss and eGauge, including setup requirements and availability. Already use Z-Wave? Check Aeotec against the controller you own before adding another system.
For every option, confirm the sensor ratings, installation requirements and equipment included in the quoted price. A low meter price can be useful value, but only if it measures what you need with the hardware you have.
Choose your Vue 3 sensor package.
Start with the circuits you want to understand, then choose the package that covers them.
