FAQ

Frequent questions about Homecore

We collect common questions and answers about Homecore here. Choose a category or browse through them all.

01

About Homecore

02

Savings and energy optimisation

03

Compatibility

04

Electricity contracts and other energy services

05

Installation and use

06

Pricing, subscription and pre-launch

07

Openness, security and future possibilities

About Homecore

Homecore is an intelligent energy system for homes that automatically lowers your electricity costs. Homecore connects smart home products, heat pump, hot water, EV charging, solar panels and other energy products so they can be controlled as one shared system.

Homecore analyses factors such as electricity price, power draw, weather and the home’s energy use, and automatically adjusts operation to lower your energy costs.

The system consists of the Homecore Gateway, a smart energy meter and the Homecore app. The Gateway is the home’s local control unit and communicates with connected products. In addition, there is an AI-based energy service.

The energy service makes the system smarter by using information such as electricity prices, weather and the home’s energy use. This allows Homecore to automatically direct energy use to the right times, help you lower your electricity costs, and give you control of your home even when you’re not there. The service also keeps the system up to date and continuously improved.

Homecore is designed to coordinate a home’s largest energy consumers, for example:

  • Heat pump and heating
  • Hot water production
  • EV charging
  • Solar panels and self-produced electricity
  • Battery storage (in development)
  • Lighting and other controllable loads
  • Smart home devices
  • Connected appliances (in development)

Which functions can be used depends on the equipment already in your home and how it can communicate. Before installation, we go through what products you currently use free of charge and provide a breakdown of what can be connected to Homecore.

No. Homecore is installed and configured to match your home’s setup by a Pytronic-approved installer. After that, the energy service handles ongoing optimisation automatically. You can follow energy use, electricity price and costs in the app, but you don’t need to plan your home’s energy use manually.

Yes, you can control your equipment manually just as you did before. You can also control your products through our app. Homecore complements your existing equipment and doesn’t remove the ability to make your own settings.

A smart thermostat normally controls the temperature in one part of the house. Homecore coordinates several of the home’s major energy consumers at once, while also taking into account electricity price, weather, total consumption and any power tariffs.

Traditional smart home systems are often primarily focused on lighting, comfort and manual automations. Homecore’s main focus is automatic energy management, while also being able to connect and control other connected products in the home.

Savings and energy optimisation

Homecore helps you use electricity when it costs less and avoid unnecessary power peaks. The system can, for example, control heating, hot water and EV charging so they don’t draw a lot of power at the same time. It all happens automatically, within the comfort levels you’ve set.

Savings potential varies between households, since it depends on the size of the home, the equipment installed, your electricity contract, electricity prices, driving distance, solar production and any power tariff. Typical savings for a standard Swedish house are 10,000–18,000 SEK per year. To be as transparent as possible, we also break down where the savings potential comes from, rather than giving a single figure.

Typical savings:

  • Heating and hot water: approximately 4,000–6,000 SEK per year, by shifting production to hours with lower electricity prices.
  • EV charging: approximately 2,000–4,000 SEK per year per charger, depending on driving distance and how much charging can be shifted in time.
  • Other controllable loads and increased use of self-produced solar power: approximately 3,000–6,000 SEK per year.
  • Energy-saving tips and increased awareness: approximately 2,000–4,000 SEK per year.
  • Reduced power peaks: for households with a power tariff and high power peaks, an additional 5,000–10,000 SEK per year.

These amounts overlap partially and should not simply be added together. A household with only a heat pump and a standard electricity contract without a power tariff will naturally fall in the lower part of the range. The upper part of the potential (up to 18,000 SEK per year) assumes that several of the factors above apply at once in the same household — for example, a home with a heat pump, EV charging, and a grid tariff with a power charge.

These amounts are estimates of possible savings based on historical electricity prices and how Homecore optimises against electricity price, power draw and consumption patterns. They are not a guarantee, and actual results may be higher or lower depending on the conditions in your specific home.

No. No responsible energy service can guarantee the same savings for every household. Your exact savings depend on factors such as how your home is heated, which products can be controlled, how and when you use electricity, and your prices and fees.

Homecore works automatically to reduce energy costs based on the conditions in your specific home. You don’t need to monitor electricity prices or plan when different products use electricity yourself. If you want to follow the results or change your settings, you can easily do so in the Homecore app.

Homecore automatically adjusts heating based on factors such as electricity price, weather and the home’s energy needs — always within the comfort levels you’ve chosen.

For example, the system can heat the house slightly more before the electricity price rises, and reduce heating when electricity is most expensive. This way, costs can be reduced without you needing to plan or adjust the temperature yourself.

Yes. Optimisation of hot water production is part of Homecore’s energy management. Production can be shifted to more favourable times, taking into account electricity price, power draw and the household’s hot water needs.

Hot water is used all year round and can therefore account for a significant share of the annual savings potential, even when the need for other household heating is low.

No. Homecore optimises when hot water is produced. Control happens within set comfort and safety limits. The actual scope for control depends on the heat pump, the hot water tank, and the household’s usage.

Homecore can automatically schedule charging for times when electricity is cheaper, while taking into account how much electricity the rest of the house is using. The goal is for the car to be charged when you need it, without unnecessarily high electricity costs or power peaks.

How charging can be controlled depends on which charging box you have. Functionality is always double-checked before installation.

Yes. Homecore can help avoid having several large power consumers running at the same time, which creates high power peaks. For example, if the heat pump is drawing a lot of power, Homecore can temporarily adjust EV charging and resume it once the load in the house decreases.

How much you can save depends on how your grid operator calculates the power charge and how you use electricity in your home.

Yes. Homecore can help you use more of the electricity your solar panels produce. When the sun is producing a lot of electricity, the system can, for example, take the opportunity to heat water or charge the EV, instead of doing so at another time.

This way, more of your self-produced electricity can be used directly in the home. How much can be controlled depends on the equipment you have.

Yes, with compatible equipment Homecore can control a home battery and coordinate it with the home’s electricity use and any solar power. The battery can then be charged and used at the times that are most beneficial for the home.

What’s possible depends on which battery and inverter you have.

Yes. Weather forecasts are one of the factors the energy service can use. If colder or warmer weather is expected, the system can plan heating based on the home’s upcoming needs, rather than only reacting to the temperature in the moment.

Yes. During summer, the need for heating normally decreases, but hot water, EV charging, solar production and other controllable loads remain. This means Homecore can continue optimising energy use throughout the year.

Compatibility

Today, Homecore works with Nibe heat pumps. Following an upcoming update, Homecore will connect to several other types of heat pumps and brands. Functionality will vary between different brands and models. Some heat pumps can give Homecore access to detailed metering and control, while others can be connected via, for example, Modbus or SG Ready.

We always check compatibility and support before the installation is confirmed.

Homecore supports connecting to compatible NIBE heat pumps via LAN and Modbus. Exactly which functions can be controlled depends on the model, generation, software and available interface.

Provide the full model designation of your heat pump in your application, and we’ll check the conditions before installation.

In some cases, yes. Even older heat pumps may support external control, or can be complemented so they work with Homecore. Control may then be somewhat more limited than with a modern heat pump.

We assess every installation individually before confirming the order.

SG Ready is a standardised way of giving a heat pump external control signals. The signals can, for example, indicate that electricity is expensive, or that there is plenty of cheap or self-produced energy available for the heat pump to use.

It depends on which charging box you have. Many modern charging boxes can be controlled by Homecore, while some older models have more limited options for external control.

We always check that your specific model is compatible before installation.

Homecore can still be used for other parts of the house, such as heating, hot water and power monitoring. However, if the charging box can’t be controlled by Homecore, EV charging can’t be automatically adjusted based on, for example, electricity price and the home’s other electricity use.

Yes, with compatible equipment Homecore can track how much electricity your solar panels produce and adjust the home’s energy use to make better use of your own solar power.

What’s possible depends on which solar system and inverter you have. We therefore always check your equipment before installation.

Homecore is built to bring your home’s technology together into one shared system, even when the products come from different manufacturers. You can expand the system yourself if you wish, using products available in regular stores. The platform can connect over 10,000 compatible devices and supports the following industry standards:

  • Matter
  • Zigbee
  • Z-Wave
  • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
  • Modbus RTU over RS485
  • Modbus TCP/IP
  • OCPP for EV chargers
  • SunSpec for, among other things, solar systems and batteries
  • Communication over Ethernet and Wi-Fi
  • KNX over IP (in development)

Our broad protocol support means Homecore can coordinate heat pumps, EV chargers, solar panels, batteries, underfloor heating, lighting and sensors within the same app and the same automations.

A product using a given protocol doesn’t always mean every function is available. We check compatibility with your specific model before installation.

When you apply for Homecore, you provide details of the heat pump, charging box and other energy equipment in your home. Pytronic reviews the information and gets back to you with details of which parts can be connected and controlled, before installation is booked.

Homecore can still be installed and used with the parts that are compatible. New integrations and functions are developed on an ongoing basis, but we don’t promise support for a specific product until the combination has been verified.

Electricity contracts and other energy services

No. Homecore is supplier-independent and works regardless of which electricity supplier you have.

Homecore can be used with different types of electricity contracts. To get the full financial benefit of shifting consumption between cheap and expensive periods, however, you need a contract where the price varies throughout the day — that is, quarter-hourly pricing, the pricing model that is now standard on the Swedish electricity market.

Even with other contracts, Homecore can provide value through power management, automations, increased use of solar power, and coordination of your equipment. If you’d like help, we can review your electricity contract before installation.

Yes. You can be a Tibber customer and use Homecore. If Tibber is your electricity supplier, Homecore can read your actual Tibber price and use it in optimisation and in the app. However, you don’t need to be a Tibber customer to use Homecore — Homecore works regardless of electricity supplier.

Tibber offers, among other things, smart charging, load balancing and smart heating for selected compatible equipment. Homecore is a more flexible, local and supplier-independent platform that coordinates more parts of the home and works regardless of which electricity supplier you have.

Tibber’s documented NIBE control optimises the home’s heating. Homecore optimises both heating and hot water production, and can coordinate these with EV charging, solar power and other loads, which generally leads to greater savings.

A heat pump’s own price control primarily manages the heat pump’s operation. Homecore can view the heat pump as part of the home’s overall energy system, and coordinate it with, for example, hot water, EV charging, solar production and the home’s total power draw.

Installation and use

Our offer includes the following:

  • Homecore Gateway
  • Smart energy meter
  • Professional installation
  • Connection to a compatible NIBE heat pump
  • Integration with a compatible EV charger
  • The Homecore app
  • Three months of the subscription fee free of charge

Compatibility with your equipment is checked before installation is confirmed.

Once your application has been reviewed, Pytronic will contact you to check your equipment and plan the next steps. An installer mounts and connects Homecore, installs the energy metering, and configures the integrations that are included and have been verified.

Normally, no. The professional installation included in the pre-launch offer is part of the price. If your property requires extra work beyond the standard installation, this will be identified and approved before the work is carried out.

Not much — it helps if you know a few details about your home in advance, but if you don’t know everything yourself, that’s not a problem; we’ll help you find the information.

Good to have on hand:

  • Model designations for the heat pump, charging box, and other equipment to be connected
  • Which grid operator you have, so we can send the correct instructions for opening the HAN port or P1 port on your electricity meter

If you can’t find the information, or aren’t sure what applies to your home, just get in touch and we’ll help you gather the details before installation.

The Homecore app is designed to show, among other things, how much money you’re saving, current energy use, electricity price and cost. The app is also used to control and monitor connected products and the functions available in your specific installation.

Homecore works locally in the home even if the internet connection is lost. Basic control and automatic functions continue to work as usual.

Functions that require information from the internet, such as current electricity prices and weather forecasts, as well as remote access, may be limited until the connection is restored.

Automatic updates are included in the energy service. Updates may include improvements and new or further developed functions.

As a customer, you have access to Pytronic’s support. Priority support is included in the ongoing subscription, as stated on the pre-launch page. Contact details and current opening hours are available on Pytronic’s contact page.

Pricing, subscription and pre-launch

The pre-launch price is 2,490 SEK including VAT. The stated regular price is 5,090 SEK. The offer covers a limited number of installations and applies during the period stated on the pre-launch page.

No. Applying is free of charge, and applying does not in itself create any payment obligation. You only pay if Homecore can be installed and you choose to proceed under the terms presented to you.

You only pay if the installation can be carried out and you choose to proceed. The exact payment terms are set out in the order confirmation and Pytronic’s terms of purchase(Swedish).

The energy service is included with no subscription fee for the first three months for participants in the pre-launch programme. After that, the service costs 199 SEK per month.

The energy service includes, among other things:

  • Automatic control based on electricity price, power charges and weather
  • AI-based energy optimisation
  • Electricity prices and market data
  • Weather forecasts
  • Cloud connection and remote access
  • Automatic updates
  • New functions and improvements
  • Priority support

The Homecore unit is yours and continues to work locally even if you cancel the energy service. You can still use basic control, metering and local functions.

What disappears is the ongoing services that allow Homecore to continuously optimise the home’s energy use based on factors such as electricity prices and weather. Remote access and other functions included in the energy service also cease.

No. Homecore is built on established industry standards and is designed to work locally in your home. Control of, for example, Nibe or Ikea lighting works without the energy service activated. You own the hardware and keep Homecore even if you choose to cancel the energy service.

In other words, it’s the energy service you subscribe to — not Homecore as a product.

The minimum contract and notice period is set out in the agreement and terms you receive before completing your order.

Current rules on warranty, complaints and the right of withdrawal are set out in Pytronic’s terms of purchase and use. You’ll of course have access to the terms before purchase, and can contact Pytronic if anything is unclear. You can also find all terms at www.pytronic.com/legal/

Openness, security and future possibilities

Yes. Homecore combines manufacturer integrations with established standards and control protocols such as Modbus, OCPP, Zigbee, Z-Wave and Matter. This makes it possible to bring products from multiple manufacturers together on the same platform. The Homecore platform is today compatible with over 10,000 products.

Yes. Basic local control, metering and automations can remain even if the energy service is cancelled or the internet connection is temporarily lost. Functions that require the cloud, AI, current electricity prices or weather data will then be limited.

Homecore processes technical data and energy data in order to display information and optimise the home’s operation. Some processing happens locally, and some services require a cloud connection.

Information about personal data, legal basis, storage and your rights is available in Pytronic’s privacy policy.

Yes. Homecore is designed to grow with your home. You can start with the functions you need today and later connect more compatible products and functions.

Which products can be connected depends on the equipment you have. See our compatibility list for current products and possibilities.

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