[PLUG-TALK] Emporia VUE 3 boo hoo

[Tomas Kuchta]

I do not want to mislead you, the last time I touched mine was about 3
years ago. My recollection may be wildly inaccurate.

I believe that I may have been able to talk to, and setup my emporia vue
over web browser - talking to its http(s) interface.

However, it seems to have sent no data when isolated from the mothership.

You can use a "smart" phone without cell coverage as long as it is
connected to a wifi. My Android cell can also use ethernet over USB-c
ethernet dongle if there is no wifi to have.

I believe that your cell phone needs to be on the same network segment with
the emporia vue while setting it up. The Emporia app seems to be able to
talk to it over wifi even before you set it up.

The only practical way of getting any data off it - without reflashing it
with ESPhome - is to do its setup and then get the data of the Emporia
mothership itself.

HomeAssistant has decent integration for the vue, if you do not want to use
the Emporia app. That said, you would still need the Emporia app if you
ever change bssid or ssid on your wifi - that is if you use wifi.

I would not expect to get this thing working without:
a) Following Emporia setup - and then - you can either use the Emporia app
or HomeAssistant
b) reflashing it with ESPhome and integrating it with HomeAssistant ir
writing your own data acquisition/visualization on the back of ESPhome.

Emporia's business model seems to be based on selling you more Emporia
gadgets, not selling your power consumption data. The app seems to be setup
for managing your emporia solar installation, car charger, socket
plugs/bulbs/....

Hope that helps,
Tomas

On Wed, Feb 4, 2026, 00:35 Keith Lofstrom <keithl at keithl.com> wrote:

> After clearing many non-maskable-life-interrupts (second
> eye surgery for wife on Monday, great outcome), I spent
> Tuesday attempting to configure the stock Emporia VUE 3
> that I purchased in December.
>
> The hardware looks good, installing it in the basement
> load center went OK --- BUT there's no "smart" phone
> radio signal reception down there.
>
> Configuration (and seemingly long term usage) requires a
> "smart phone" ... which I cannot use (proprioception and
> privacy and closed-source issues).
>
> When I need power monitoring most in the future will be
> when the grid is down and internet is disrupted.
> Allocating limited home generator kilowatts and finite
> generator fuel should be data driven.
>
> Emporia's "we own your data" business model also SUCKS.
>
> I hoped I could get it working the EMPORIA WAY, then
> reverse engineer the packet stream ... there are hints
> online that others have done so, without encryption
> barriers.  Perhaps that's an earlier version of the VUE.
>
> ----
>
> So - I either remove the VUE and attempt to return it ...
> or I reflash it, void the warranty, and possibly brick it,
> after way too much time learning what to do.
>
> Other PLUG adepts have reflashed their VUE 3 successfully.
> Is anyone willing to reflash mine and explain the new
> features, perhaps in return for my "fix ancient electronics"
> tools and skills?   Or I write a document clearly explaining
> the reflash procedure and new features and behaviors for
> the rest of PLUG and the world?
>
> Keith L.
>
> --
> Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com
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