How to View Electricity Usage in iOS 18 Home App

Apple’s iOS 18 introduces a native energy management feature to the Home app, allowing users to connect compatible utility accounts to view real-time electricity consumption and pricing details in one centralized dashboard. This article breaks down how the Home app presents this electricity data, the specific metrics and graphs it uses to summarize usage, and how these insights help homeowners manage power costs.

Utility Account Integration

To access electricity summaries, users must first connect an eligible utility provider directly within the Home app. Apple launched this capability through partnerships with select regional utilities, such as Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in California, with plans to expand availability over time. Once linked, the Home app automatically syncs billing cycle timelines, tariff structures, and interval meter readings.

The Energy Dashboard

Electricity data lives in the dedicated Energy category within the Home tab. Tapping this section reveals a consolidated overview of current power conditions and historical usage:

  • Current Rate Period: Shows whether the current time falls within peak, off-peak, or super-off-peak pricing according to the user's specific rate plan.
  • Grid Forecast: Displays clean energy availability on the local grid, indicating when power generation is cleanest to help users decide when to run heavy appliances.
  • Usage Snapshot: Provides a quick visual of today's energy usage compared to previous days.

Consumption Graphs and Time Intervals

The Home app summarizes electricity consumption through interactive, color-coded bar charts that display usage measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Users can toggle between several timeframes:

  • Day View: Breaks down consumption into hourly intervals, showing exact spikes in power draw throughout the day.
  • Week and Month Views: Aggregates daily usage totals, allowing users to spot patterns, such as weekend increases or shifts between weekdays.
  • Year View: Displays monthly totals across the entire billing year to help identify seasonal variations in cooling and heating demand.

Cost Summaries and Peak Hour Tracking

For supported rate plans—particularly Time-of-Use (TOU) plans—the Home app translates raw kilowatt-hour data into financial summaries:

  • Estimated Cost Breakdown: Calculates estimated costs based on tier pricing, showing how much money was spent during specific billing periods.
  • Peak Hour Highlighting: Highlights power consumed during peak utility hours in distinct colors on the charts, clearly indicating when electricity was drawn at higher rates.
  • Previous Cycle Comparison: Benchmarks current consumption against the previous week, month, or billing cycle to highlight whether overall energy use is trending upward or downward.