Power Monitoring
Connect a smart plug with energy monitoring to the printer to log actual power consumption per print — not just estimates.
Go to: https://localhost:3443/#settings → Integrations → Power Monitoring
Supported devices
| Device | Protocol | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Shelly Plug S / Plus Plug S | HTTP REST / MQTT | Recommended — easy setup |
| Shelly 1PM / 2PM | HTTP REST / MQTT | For hardwired installation |
| Shelly Gen2 / Gen3 | HTTP REST / MQTT | Newer models with extended API |
| Tasmota devices | MQTT | Flexible for custom setups |
:::tip Recommended device Shelly Plug S Plus with firmware 1.0+ is tested and recommended. Supports Wi-Fi, MQTT, and HTTP REST without cloud dependency. :::
Setup with Shelly
Prerequisites
- The Shelly plug is connected to the same network as 3DPrintForge
- The Shelly is configured with a static IP or DHCP reservation
Configuration
- Go to Settings → Power Monitoring
- Click Add power meter
- Select Type: Shelly
- Fill in:
- IP address: e.g.
192.168.1.150 - Channel: 0 (for single-outlet plugs)
- Authentication: username and password if configured
- IP address: e.g.
- Click Test connection
- Link the plug to a Printer: select from the dropdown
- Click Save
Polling interval
The default polling interval is 10 seconds. Reduce to 5 for more accurate measurements, increase to 30 for lower network load.
Setup with Tasmota
- Configure the Tasmota device with MQTT (see Tasmota documentation)
- In 3DPrintForge: select Type: Tasmota
- Enter the MQTT topic for the device: e.g.
tasmota/power-plug-1 - Link to printer and click Save
3DPrintForge automatically subscribes to {topic}/SENSOR for power readings.
What is measured
When power monitoring is enabled, the following is logged per print:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Instantaneous power | Watts during printing (live) |
| Total energy consumption | kWh for the entire print |
| Average power | kWh / print time |
| Energy cost | kWh × electricity price (from Tibber/Nordpool) |
Data is saved in print history and available for analysis.
Live view
Instantaneous power consumption is shown in:
- Dashboard — as an extra widget (enable in widget settings)
- Fleet overview — as a small indicator on the printer card
Comparison with estimate
After printing, a comparison is shown:
| Estimated | Actual | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy consumption | 1.17 kWh | 1.09 kWh |
| Electricity cost | 2.16 | 2.02 |
| Deviation | — | -6.8% |
Consistent deviations can be used to calibrate the estimates in Cost Estimator.
Turn off printer automatically
Shelly/Tasmota can automatically turn off the printer after a completed print:
- Go to Power Monitoring → [Printer] → Auto off
- Enable Turn off X minutes after print completed
- Set time delay (e.g. 10 minutes)
:::danger Cooling Let the printer cool down for at least 5–10 minutes after the print is done before cutting power. The nozzle should cool below 50°C to avoid heat creep in the hotend. :::