Apple Home Moves Toward Smarter Energy Management with New Developer Tools
While Apple didn't spotlight its smart home ecosystem during this year's WWDC keynote, the company has quietly rolled out promising updates to the Home app—specifically in the realm of energy management.
In a recently released developer video, Apple introduced EnergyKit, a new framework launching with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. Designed for integration with Apple Home, EnergyKit empowers developers to access and utilise energy data to help reduce or shift electricity consumption. The goal? Prioritise the use of cleaner or cheaper energy.
For instance, developers can now build smart features that allow an EV charger to schedule charging based on predicted energy prices or let a thermostat dial back its usage during peak pricing hours. Apple refers to this functionality as EnergyKit Guidance, which taps into real-time data like electricity rates and clean energy availability—currently available through the Grid Forecast widget when connected to a utility provider (PG&E is the only one supported so far).
This feature expansion means Apple Home could evolve into a Home Energy Management System (HEMS)—a platform capable of monitoring, optimising, and controlling a home's energy consumption. While this vision is still developing, it's already taking root in other ecosystems. Platforms like Samsung SmartThings (with its AI Energy Mode) and Homey by LG are ahead of the curve.
Though EnergyKit is designed to route energy data from Apple Home into individual manufacturers' apps, it sets a foundation for future central control directly through the Apple Home app—something that's notably absent today. Currently, Apple Home doesn't support energy monitoring for thermostats or integration with EV chargers.
Still, there's reason to believe change is coming. Apple's active role in the Matter smart home standard opens the door for broader device compatibility. Matter has recently added support for key appliances and systems like electric water heaters, heat pumps, solar inverters, and energy storage systems. This greatly increases the chances of future Apple Home integration with energy-intensive devices.
As Apple builds the blocks of a more connected and energy-aware smart home experience, EnergyKit represents an important first step. It's a quiet but strategic move that hints at a more sustainable—and more competitive—future for Apple in the smart home space.
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