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Key Takeaways

Best for: seeing which circuits drive your electric bill, with no subscription
Standout: 16 circuit sensors plus Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet for about $200
Watch out: it depends on Emporia's cloud and has only a 1-year warranty
Not for: local-only smart homes that avoid cloud services

The Emporia Vue 3 is an in-panel energy monitor that shows your whole-home use and up to 16 individual circuits in a phone app, with no subscription. It costs $99.99 for the mains-only kit and $199.99 with 16 circuit sensors.

Wondering how an energy monitor fits with a smart thermostat, EV charger or backup battery? Our Whole-Home Energy Calculator adds up the whole setup: the electricity it adds or saves each month and the net change on your bill.

What you can track

Kits come with 0, 8 or 16 circuit sensors, so put them on the loads that move your bill: HVAC, water heater, dryer, range, EV charger or well pump. Solar homes can see production and what goes back to the grid. Need more than 16 circuits? Add a second Vue and combine them in the app.

Installation

Where it goes: inside your breaker panel. Clamps snap around the service mains and the branch wires you pick, with no rewiring.
Power: a wire harness on two stacked single-pole breakers (or one double-pole), or spliced onto existing breakers with the included pigtails.
Wi-Fi weak at the panel? Run an Ethernet cable in through a panel knockout instead.
Who installs it: Emporia says many owners do it themselves, but the service mains stay live even with the main breaker off. I recommend a licensed electrician.

How it compares

	Emporia Vue 3	Shelly EM Gen3	Refoss EM16P
Typical price	$100 to $200	About $70	$160 to $200
Circuit sensors	16 x 50A	2 channels, 1 x 50A clamp included	16 x 60A
Mains sensors	2 x 200A	None (80A max per channel)	2 x 200A
Local, no-cloud mode	No, cloud app	Yes: Home Assistant, MQTT	Yes: web UI, Home Assistant, MQTT
Connection	Wi-Fi or Ethernet	Wi-Fi and Bluetooth	2.4GHz Wi-Fi
Warranty	1 year	3 years	2 years
Best for	Most homes wanting a polished app	One or two big loads on a budget	Home Assistant users who want local data

See my Shelly EM Gen3 and Refoss EM16P reviews.

Want to see other Energy Monitors? Compare them side by side →

How I researched this: Emporia’s product page, spec sheet and installation guide, Emporia’s help center, Smart Home Explorer’s review roundup, and owner reports on the DIY Solar and Home Assistant forums. Prices checked September 29, 2026.

Emporia Vue 3

Emporia Vue 3 energy monitor review: 16 circuit sensors, Wi-Fi or Ethernet, ±2% accuracy, no subscription, and how it compares with the Vue 2 and rivals.

Product Brand: Emporia

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 100

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.5

Pros

Circuit-level data on up to 16 circuits plus the mains, with no subscription
Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet, a plus in metal panels far from the router
Rated ±2% accuracy at 24,000 samples per second
UL 61010 and UL 2808 certified
Works with Alexa and Google Home

Cons

Needs an active internet connection; your data runs through Emporia's cloud
No official local API, so Home Assistant users rely on community add-ons or reflashing (Home Assistant community)
Only a 1-year warranty
Needs two free breaker spaces in your panel, or a splice onto existing breakers

Specs

Circuit sensors	Up to 16 x 50A (kits with 0, 8 or 16)
Mains sensors	2 x 200A (3 for three-phase)
Accuracy	Rated ±2%
Sampling	24,000 samples per second
Connectivity	2.4GHz Wi-Fi or 10/100 Ethernet
Electrical systems	Single-phase, split-phase 120/240V, three-phase Wye
Power draw	Under 3W
Certifications	UL 61010, UL 2808
Warranty	1 year
Subscription	None

Verdict

The best all-around circuit monitor for most homes: 16 circuits, a wired option and a polished app for about $200. If you want your data kept off the cloud, get the Refoss EM16P, and if you only care about one or two circuits, the Shelly EM Gen3 costs far less.

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Common Questions

Will it show individual appliances on a shared circuit?: No. It measures each circuit you clamp, so a circuit that feeds several outlets shows as one total. Use a smart plug if you need a single appliance.
Can I monitor a 240V appliance like a dryer?: Yes. Clamp one leg of the 240V circuit and set a 2x multiplier in the app, as Emporia's sensor guide explains.
Can I see my usage in dollars?: Yes. Enter your utility rate in the app and it shows cost as well as kWh.

Emporia Vue 3 Review