Electricity Price Comparison with Averages

This feature is made for people who want a clear rule for what “expensive” and “cheap” means - not just the absolute lowest hour of the day. WattSmart lets you compare each time interval (hourly or 15-minute) against a selected benchmark average - or against a price level you set yourself.

Instead of guessing, you get three simple labels across the app:

  • High - above your acceptable range
  • Low - below your acceptable range
  • Acceptable - within your acceptable range

How the price levels are calculated

WattSmart classifies every price point as High / Low / Acceptable relative to a reference average you choose in Settings.

1) Choose your comparison baseline (average)

You can select what “average” means for you, for example:

  • Today’s average
  • Last week’s average
  • Last month’s average
  • Last year’s average
  • This year’s (YTD) average
  • Custom price level (you set the number)

2) Set your Acceptable range (deviation)

You also set an allowed deviation (%) around the chosen average.

  • Acceptable range = average ± deviation%

3) Classify each time interval

For each hour (or 15-minute interval):

  • High if price > average + deviation%
  • Low if price < average - deviation%
  • Acceptable if average - deviation% ≤ price ≤ average + deviation%

This turns raw market data into a consistent, personal “price signal” you can use every day.

Custom price level: the “geek mode” feature

The Custom price level option is for users who want to define their own “fair” price instead of using historical averages.

Typical use cases:

  • You know your tariff structure and want a strict threshold.
  • You track household budget and need a clear “good enough” band.
  • You want one stable reference level for the whole season.

With a custom level + deviation, you effectively create your own personal acceptable price corridor.

One color logic across the whole app

WattSmart uses the same logic everywhere, so you don’t have to re-interpret charts on every screen:

  • High = red
  • Low = green
  • Acceptable = blue

This color meaning is consistent across:

  • Today & tomorrow price table
  • Today & tomorrow price chart
  • Home screen widgets
  • Any place where price intervals are highlighted

How it connects to “Cheapest and Most Expensive Price Hours”

When you use price levels (High/Low/Acceptable), the “Cheapest and Most Expensive” feature can group time intervals by the same thresholds:

  • “Cheapest” intervals are the ones classified as Low
  • “Most expensive” intervals are the ones classified as High

In other words, it’s not only about absolute min/max - it’s about your chosen benchmark average ± deviation, which is often more useful for real-life planning.

Why compare to averages at all?

Absolute cheapest hours are great, but averages unlock more control:

  • You can avoid “high” intervals without chasing the single lowest point.
  • You can plan appliance usage based on a stable rule.
  • You can track whether today/tomorrow is generally expensive or generally cheap.

Settings recap

To use this feature, configure two things in Settings:

  1. Reference price (day/week/month/last year/YTD/custom)
  2. Allowed deviation (%) to define your Acceptable band

Once set, the same thresholds drive the entire app UI - tables, charts, and widgets.