Energy Monitor & EMS: Frequently Asked QuestionsUpdated 18 days ago
How It Works
What does the Energy Monitor do?
The Energy Monitor is installed inside your electrical panel. Two sensors on your service mains measure your whole home's electricity use, and two branch sensors measure your EV charger (and optionally one other circuit). It reports to the NeoCharge app every 30 seconds.
What is an EMS?
An Energy Management System (EMS) is the Energy Monitor paired with a compatible EV charger. The NeoCharge platform uses the monitor's live readings to set the charger's current limit in real time, so your home's total load stays within your panel's rating.
How does it avoid a panel upgrade?
Without load management, adding an EV charger often means upgrading your panel or electrical service, which can cost thousands of dollars. The EMS makes sure the charger only uses capacity your panel actually has available. That lets an electrician add a new EV charger circuit to your existing panel.
Is the Energy Monitor wired to the charger?
No. The charger is controlled over OCPP, a network protocol that runs over your home Wi-Fi or Ethernet. It is a software connection, not a power wire.
Does the EMS control anything besides my EV charger?
No. It only adjusts your EV charger's charging rate. Your lights, appliances and everything else in your home run normally. The Energy Monitor measures them, but never turns them off.
Will my car charge slower?
Only when your home is using a lot of power at the same time, like when the oven, dryer and AC are running. Charging slows or pauses, then speeds back up as capacity frees up. That's the system working, not a fault. The rest of the time, your car charges at the rate set in the app.
Why does charging take a minute or two to reach full speed?
When you plug in, charging ramps up gradually over 1-2 minutes while the Energy Monitor confirms there is enough headroom to reach the charging rate set in the app.
Why does the app briefly show the charger using more than my whole home?
The home and charger readings in the app refresh at slightly different times. While charging is ramping up, one number can briefly run ahead of the other. They line up again within a few seconds.
Will the Energy Monitor's readings match my utility meter?
Closely, but not exactly. The Energy Monitor takes real measurements of the current and voltage on your service mains. It isn't guessing. Your utility meter is a separate device, measuring at a different point, with its own calibration and billing rules. Small differences are normal and can go either way: the app may show slightly more or slightly less than your utility reports. Common reasons:
- Measurement tolerance: the Energy Monitor's current sensors are rated to ±2%. Utility revenue meters are certified to a tighter revenue-grade standard. Two accurate instruments with different tolerances will rarely read identically.
- Different measurement points: the utility meter measures where power enters your home. The Energy Monitor's sensors sit on the conductors inside your panel, and its voltage reference comes from a breaker in the panel, not the meter.
- Timing and intervals: the Energy Monitor reports every 30 seconds. Your utility records usage in 15-minute or hourly intervals, and billing periods start and end at different times than the days shown in the app.
- Solar and net metering: with solar, the utility nets imported and exported energy under its own rules, which can differ from how the app displays production and use.
- Connectivity gaps: if the Energy Monitor loses its internet connection, readings from that period may be missing in the app. Your utility meter keeps counting.
- Billing adjustments: utility bills can include estimated meter reads, rounding and rate adjustments that don't appear in measured usage.
Your utility meter remains the official record for billing. The Energy Monitor is designed to give you an accurate, real-time view of your home's energy use and to keep your EV charging within your panel's limits.
Can the Energy Monitor measure other circuits?
The two main sensors always measure your whole home. The two branch sensors usually go on the EV charger. Your electrician can instead put one on the charger and one on another circuit, like an AC unit or dryer.
How is the Energy Monitor different from the Smart Splitter?
The Smart Splitter plugs into an existing 240V outlet and shares that one circuit between two devices. The Energy Monitor is electrician-installed, manages your whole panel, and enables a new EV charger circuit. See Smart Splitter vs Energy Monitor: Which Do I Need?
Internet, Power & Interruptions
Does the EMS need internet?
Yes. Both the Energy Monitor and the charger need a working connection to your home network so the EMS can verify available capacity.
What happens if my Wi-Fi or internet goes down?
The EMS can't verify available capacity, so charging pauses after a short safety timeout. The app shows Charging paused. This protects your panel from overload.
What happens during a power outage?
If power to the charger goes out, charging stops until power returns.
Will charging start again on its own?
Charging is designed to resume automatically once power, communication and monitoring are back, the vehicle is plugged in and ready, capacity is available, and your schedule allows charging. Reconnecting alone doesn't mean an instant restart. See Charging Paused? How the EMS Handles Internet and Power Interruptions.
My phone has Wi-Fi. Why does the app say the charger or monitor is offline?
Your phone's connection is separate from the devices' connection. Check that your router is working. If you changed your Wi-Fi name or password, both the charger and the Energy Monitor need to be re-added. Contact support for help.
Installation & Your Panel
Who installs the Energy Monitor?
A licensed electrician. It is installed inside your electrical panel, which should never be opened by a homeowner. See the Energy Monitor Installation Guide.
Will the Energy Monitor work with my panel?
The main sensors need to fit around your service conductors inside the panel. Most panels work. Some layouts, like center-fed panels or panels with very little room around the main conductors, may need the flexible Rogowski coil sensors or may not be compatible. Your electrician confirms this during the site review.
What are "flexible sensors"?
Flexible Rogowski coils are an alternative to rigid split-core clamps. They wrap around the service conductors in tight panels where standard clamps don't fit. The Energy Monitor is the same either way.
What if there's no room in my panel for a new breaker?
The EMS removes the need for a capacity upgrade, but the new EV charger circuit still needs physical breaker space. If your panel is full, an electrician can usually open up space by consolidating breakers or adding a subpanel. Both are far less expensive than a panel or service upgrade.
I have solar. Does that work?
Yes. The electrician places the main sensors so they measure your home's net usage. The full installation guides cover solar configurations.
App, Charger & Settings
What EV chargers work with the EMS?
The EMS works with compatible OCPP chargers, such as Autel chargers.
The Autel app says my charger's serial number and PIN don't match. What do I do?
The PIN in the Autel booklet doesn't match that charger. Only Autel can fix this. Call Autel Customer Support at 1 (844) 765-0150 (24/7) with the charger's serial number, and they'll give you the correct PIN.
Can I change the EMS settings myself?
You can set your charging rate, schedules and preferences in the NeoCharge app. The EMS configuration (panel rating, sensor setup, charger limits) is locked behind the installer PIN, so it can't be changed without a certified electrician. This keeps your panel protected.
What data does the Energy Monitor collect?
It measures electricity use: whole-home usage from the main sensors and the circuits on the branch sensors. You can see this in the NeoCharge app.
What does the light on the Energy Monitor mean?
See the Energy Monitor Status Light Guide.
Still Have Questions?
Call +1 888 944 5581 or email [email protected].