Using Amazon Echo to read power meter

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1

HI team, I’ve got Echo set up with openHAB and it’s working really well. I am using Aeotec Smart 6 Switch plugs and I can turn them off and on using Echo, but I can’t figure out how to get power readings using the Echo.

I see from the Homekit add-on documentation that the only tags that can carry values are thermostat or temperature-related.

Has anyone found a way of applying tags to a power meter item (with a number type) so they can be read using the Echo?

2

It unfortunately doesn’t work that way… :wink:

I don’t know, how Amazon echo gets the information on the switches to read also power consumption, but even if: Amazon echo won’t let you get information back, so you have to bind your devices to openHAB using some Kind of binding (in your case, it’s Zwave, I guess? https://docs.openhab.org/addons/bindings/zwave/readme.html)

What you have read on homekit tagging, is the way you can tell Amazon echo to manage openHAB items, but you have to have the items and information on them coming to openHAB somehow.

So, the way is:

  • get Zwave binding and add your Switches
  • openHAB will read the Switches Information (I don’t know Zwave at all, but I imagine you get the power readings as well)
3

Hi Thomas, thanks for the reply! Sorry I wasn’t very specific - yes it’s bound via Zwave and I can get the consumption levels via the GUI. I can also tag the power consumption reading item so the Echo recognises it as a device… I just can’t figure out how to then get the readings via Echo.

So in summary, switches bound to openHAB using Zwave and working fine, including power usage metering. I’m just trying to figure out if I can tag them in such a way as I can interrogate them for the power reading using the Echo.

4

Ah. Now I see. Sorry, I misread this.

But at present, there are no other ways as those two for Alexa to read you values, I’m afraid.

5

Thanks mate. I can’t even get it to read them as temperatures at the moment, but I might keep experimenting with it. Thanks again for your help.

6

you have to use a homekit group for that:

Group gDownstairsThermostat "Downstairs Thermostat" (gFF) ["Thermostat"]
Number Downstairs_Thermostat_CurrentTemp "Downstairs Thermostat Current Temperature" (gDownstairsThermostat) ["CurrentTemperature"]
Number Downstairs_Thermostat_Target_Temperature "Downstairs Thermostat Target Temperature" (gDownstairsThermostat) ["TargetTemperature"]
String Downstairs_Thermostat_Heating_Cooling_Mode "Downstairs Thermostat Heating/Cooling Mode" (gDownstairsThermostat) ["homekit:HeatingCooling"]

you can’t just add the part with the “CurrentTemp” as Alexa won’t recognize this one. So, after you have configured the Group, you can say: “Alexa, what’s the downstairs temperature?” - but only if you have the Group configured.

7

Brilliant - thanks again mate. Suddenly the documentation makes a lot more sense. This is really helpful!

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