Electricity rates and billing plans can be all over the place. An immense pain to decipher.
We don’t have the option for residential TOU pricing. Our bills are the daily rate averaged over the billing cycle which can range anywhere from 24-34 days depending on when they read our meter every two months. Every other month our bill is estimated. It only gets more complicated from there, with delivery (cost to get it to you) charges per KWH being more than the per KWH service (cost to generate it) charges. We have the ability to choose an alternative supplier for the service portion, who can charge the same KWH and guarantee lower bills because that portion no longer taxed and feed the same. That’s the government for ya…
Device detection is hit or miss… Ya never really know what you will get. The screaming room analogy. Why can't you train Sense?
Sense integrations are limited due to the very detailed level of reporting required to be accurate enough as to not screw other things up.
Training Sense is a never ending debate you could spend days reading about.
You can disable control from the Sense app. That doesn’t disable control from other voice assistants. You could remove them from the voice assistant or you could rename them to something you would never say. The fat finger risk still exists, I don’t think the mfgs app developers intended on them being used not as a switch but a dedicated power monitoring device for critical loads. It’s a risk only you can decide.
Kasa HS300’s are the only integratable power strips, they allow control and power monitoring of each individual outlet. Each outlet functions as it’s own smart plug.
I think my setup might be more along the lines of what you are trying to accomplish. It’s called an “advanced power strip”. My utility regularly sells this one for $7 https://www.amazon.com/TrickleStar-Outlet-Advanced-PowerStrip-Joules/dp/B00JPDYYSM/ref=sr_1_4
I have my computer plugged into the control outlet, monitors, etc… into the switched outlets. When the computer turns off it turns them off.
You could use a single outlet plug such as a KP125 to monitor the consumption and to act as the (remote)
switch.
I have the power strip plugged into one of the outlets of a HS300 as I have a bunch of other stuff to control and monitor right there.
A small draw here & there is no big deal. Most people don’t truly realize how many they have and they can add up pretty quick. That’s what’s great about Sense. Once you identify the larger loads you’ll have a much better idea of all the smaller loads at any given time.
Your already learning about your home. Sense is that tool.