Getting started with Sense is exciting, and it doesn't take long before you'll begin seeing your home's energy use.
While your App connects, you'll see the message "Your home's power will appear here shortly." This screen is displayed for up to five minutes while Sense establishes a connection to the platform.
Real-time power: Available within minutes
Once your Sense monitor is installed, powered on, and connected to your Wi-Fi network, the app will begin displaying your home's real-time power usage within a few minutes.
If everything is connected correctly, you should be able to:
- See your home's live power consumption on the Now screen
- Watch your usage update in real time as devices turn on and off
- Confirm that your system is communicating with the Sense service
If you don't see live power data after about ten minutes, check that:
- Your Sense monitor has power (not applicable to meter users)
- Your Wi-Fi connection is active
- The system has completed setup in the Sense app
What you'll see first
When Sense first comes online, you'll immediately see your home's total electricity usage. This is the combined power being used across your home at that moment.
At first, everything appears as whole-home usage. That's expected.
Over time, Sense learns the unique electrical signatures of devices in your home. As devices are identified, they'll begin appearing individually in the app.
Device detection takes time
Device detection doesn't happen instantly. Sense learns by observing how devices turn on, turn off, and operate over time.
Some devices may be detected within the first few days, while others can take several weeks depending on how often they're used and how distinctive their electrical patterns are.
The more you use your devices normally, the more opportunities Sense has to learn.
Your timeline at a glance
- Within minutes: Live whole-home power appears in the app
- First few hours: Energy data begins building your usage history
- First few days to several weeks: Sense starts identifying individual devices as it learns your home's unique energy patterns
Still not seeing live power?
If your app isn't showing real-time power after ten minutes:
- Verify that setup completed successfully
- Confirm your system is online and connected to Wi-Fi
- Restart the Sense app
My Sense System Is Offline?
If your Sense system is offline, it isn't able to send data to the Sense app. While your Sense system is disconnected, you won't see new real-time power data, device activity, or updated energy usage.
The good news: Your Sense system usually reconnects automatically once power and your internet connection are restored.
Common reasons a Sense system goes offline
- A power outage or electrical interruption
- Your Wi-Fi network is unavailable or has changed
- Your router or modem restarted
- Your internet service is temporarily down
- Your Sense system has lost its network connection
What you'll notice
When your system is offline:
- Live power updates stop
- Device activity isn't recorded
- Historical data remains available
- The Sense app displays your monitor or meter is offline
Learn more and visit our offline troubleshooting checklist here.
If you've confirmed everything is installed correctly and live data still isn't appearing, contact Sense Support for additional troubleshooting.