Standout: Local whole-home and solar readings for under $100
Watch out: No app or Wi-Fi; it only works through a Z-Wave hub
Not for: Anyone without a smart-home hub, or who wants per-circuit data
The Aeotec Home Energy Meter 8 installs in your electrical panel, with clamps on your main power lines, and reports whole-home use and solar production to a Z-Wave smart-home hub. It sells for about $80 to $100.
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 need before you buy
A Z-Wave hub: Home Assistant (with a Z-Wave stick), SmartThings, or Hubitat with a community driver. There is no Aeotec app.
An electrician: the two 200A clamps go around your main service wires, and the meter itself wires into the panel for power. Aeotec says to have a licensed electrician install it.
A standard US split-phase home: this US version is built for 120/240V service.
What you can track
Live and total household usage, plus solar exported to the grid if you have panels. In Home Assistant it can feed the Energy dashboard and trigger automations, like switching off a smart plug when usage spikes.
How I researched this: Aeotec’s product page, technical specs and user guide, coverage from smarthomecompared and Automate Life, and the “Is It Worth It?” video review. Prices checked October 7, 2026.
Aeotec Home Energy Meter 8
Aeotec Home Energy Meter 8 review: whole-home and solar tracking over Z-Wave for under $100, what hub you need, specs, pros, cons and alternatives.
Product Brand:
Aeotec
Editor's Rating: 4.2
Pros
Costs about $80 to $100, less than most whole-home monitors with solar tracking
Tracks both what you use and what solar panels send back to the grid
Works locally over Z-Wave, so readings don't depend on a cloud service
Z-Wave Long Range reaches a panel far from the hub
Splash-resistant housing (IP44)
Cons
Needs a Z-Wave hub; it has no app of its own and no Wi-Fi
Whole-home readings only, with no per-circuit detail
Only a 1-year warranty
SmartThings support is more limited than Home Assistant (Automate Life)
Specs
Model
ZWA046 (US, 2 x 200A)
Sensors
2 x 200A clamps (whole-home, split-phase)
Accuracy
Better than 99% above 0.05A (Aeotec)
Solar
Yes, separate consumption and production readings
Connectivity
Z-Wave 800 with Long Range, S2 security
Hub needed
Yes (Home Assistant, SmartThings; Hubitat via a community driver)
Power
120V AC, wired into your electrical panel
Housing
IP44
Operating temp
-26°F to 104°F
Warranty
1 year
Verdict
If you already run Home Assistant or another Z-Wave hub, the Home Energy Meter 8 is an affordable way to see whole-home and solar power use, with no cloud in the way. Without a hub it's the wrong pick; the Shelly EM Gen3 or Emporia Vue 3 work straight from a phone app.
Yes. Besides the two clamps that go around your main service wires, the meter wires into your panel for its 120V power. Aeotec says only a licensed electrician should do the electrical installation.
Can I use it without a hub?
No. It reports over Z-Wave only, so you need a compatible hub such as Home Assistant with a Z-Wave stick, SmartThings, or Hubitat (with a community driver).
Will it show which appliance is using power?
No. It measures the whole house, not individual circuits. For per-circuit data, look at the Emporia Vue 3.
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