API & Dashboard Data

14 comments started 2025-09-16 last 2025-09-19
APIsHome Automation
H
#1 Heald642

Hey,

I want to check if I am going absolutely insane as I've been looking at this for the last couple of days.
When I look at the app/web dashboard for the month of August at my generation it's showing as 485.7kWh total.
However when I download the data using the API August shows me as 544kWh so I've been banging my head thinking the API is pulling the wrong information.

However, this is whats thrown me. When I download the CSV file directly from the web dashboard for August, it gives my generation as 545kWh. So showing a completely different number to what I'm expecting.

Which number should I trust here? The API or the app/dashboard?

Cheers,

H
#2 Heald642

Couldn't upload the images in the original discussion post so here's what I can see in both my dashboard and when I pull the data using the API


S
#3 SteveCook

Have you tried getting data from your Smart meter and seeing what that says.
I don't know how accurate the Gem 120 is.
Is it positioned on your system to "capture" everything?

G
#4 geoffreycoan

Heald642 I think your issue is the dashboard not the API data.

I believe the dashboard uses the today values and it interpolates that whatever was occurring at the start of the 5 minute data capture is what happens for the entire 5 minute period. So this will give under and over readings.

Using the total data is more reliable, subtracting start of month from end of month.

There have often been issues reported in the dashboard, I wouldn’t trust it

H
#6 Heald642

@SteveCook haven't tried the data extract as I'm on a Mac but believe my script is working in a very similar way (trying to combine it with Octopus api at the same time). The data from the API matches what Octopus is reporting (export/import) so the GivEnergy API must be correct, it's the dashboard which is showing as completely wrong which is mental to me! Thank you

H
#7 Heald642

geoffreycoan Completely agree, looking like a dashboard issue rather than an API one!

G
#8 G-dog

I have no faith in the absolute accuracy of GE data and the methodologies behind them. For example for a few months i noted some data was obviously wrong showing grid usage when there was none (strangely beginning at start of a month). then it miraculously stopped this flaw again (strangely beginning at start of a month). i am of the opinion that GE software engineers meddle with things then realising their error sort it out on the fly. Rather than properly testing it before application.

G
#9 geoffreycoan

G-dog Agile delivery!

It’s industry-wide. Look at the number of government websites that are still in Beta version.

#10 Windy Miller

geoffreycoan I agree. You can't call it software ENGINEERING if you continually take a suck it and see approach. Planning, coding, unit testing, Beta testing, release. Seems to be only 2 of these 5 stages now apply.

G
#11 geoffreycoan

Windy Miller This one particularly annoys me, https://www.submit-general-aviation-report.service.gov.uk/welcome/index its the website to submit a General Aviation Report which is the notification to Border Force that you are travelling in or out of the country in a general aviation (i.e. not commercial) airplane.

It is mandatory to use this service and potentially a £5000 fine if you don’t.

And yet it is a beta product. Still. After at least 2 years.

I had a problem with a submitted flight to the UK last year, despite getting the confirmation the Border Force staff at Manston told me I hadn’t, I was therefore a “high risk” flight and could be fined £5000 as a result. When I quoted the confirmation number they just weren’t interested because it wasn’t on their screen.

Anyway, way off topic now.

#12 ChrisLav

geoffreycoan Up to £10,000 fine now, apparently (following your link)!!

R
#13 Rtidey

Heald642 haven't tried the data extract as I'm on a Mac

Just FYI. Although these scripts were originally powershell, there are now python versions which run on any machine with python installed. I use the python versions myself.

G
#14 geoffreycoan

Rtidey Just FYI. Although these scripts were originally powershell, there are now python versions which run on any machine with python installed. I use the python versions myself.

There are some bug fixes and improvements I made to the powershell script. They've not been applied to the python version. Someone might want to do that. One of the main ones was converting UTC date/times from the downloaded data to local time so you can match/manipulate them more easily.

There is powershell available for Mac and I think the script has been tried OK.