Loadshed times are off by 2 hours...

[zs3y]

I wonder whether I am the only one seeing my loadshed times off by two hours?

[zs3y]

Based on all the feedback, I must assume no-one is using this integration anymore... now, don't everybody shout at the same time, but what, if anything is being used to try and keep the home automation ticking over and knowing in advance what to expect for certain from Eishkom?

[tinuva]

I don't have this issue, and yes I am using this integration just fine.

If your times are off by 2 hours, first step is to confirm 100% you have the correct zone configured. Many times there are zones with similar names that have different times.

So, without adding information what you see in HA, with screenshots of the entities, the zone you have configured (screenshot) as well as the zone you have in ESP app (screenshot), don't expect any help here. Its close to, if not, impossible to assist without the info.

[zs3y]

Thanks, for the reply, yes I can confirm the zone is correct, the problem, I suppose, starts on Eishkom's end, where their website's published times are in UTC and thus off by 2 hours from local SAST, but the integration also seems to work in UTC and then screws this up to show me 2 hours before the loadshed that we supposedly don't have power... Ok if everyones times on https://loadshedding.eskom.co.za/ and thus via the integration is correct... then I'm baffled what happened here on this end... their times were correct, before early March, I think, but thereafter it was off and another aquiantance toward the Eastern Cape also said his times were off, in fact we discussed this on the 10th of March, when the times provided were not correct anymore..., let me do some screenshots... and drag them here.... not sure of the value of those...

[tinuva]

You still left out the important information.

Is the zone times correct in the ESP APP? Is the times in ESP APP the same as you see in HA with this integration using the ESP API?

[zs3y]

Sorry, ok, don't use the app. myself, but my betterer half has Eskomsepush on her cell phone and yes the times have been the same as on Eksdom/Eishkoms website, add two hours and then it would fit the local times... so their times correspond to loadshed/rolling blackout times provided by Eskom and the time would be correct if we used UTC and not SAST...

[tinuva]

For just a moment, imagine it is not a UTC or 2 hour diff problem.

Show us a screenshot with the area name and times from your other half You already have a screenshot of the area name in HA above at least.

Edit: I am unsure, is the ESP app times correct and accurate to actual loadshedding, eg. not out by 2 hours.

[zs3y]

ok, that's a screenahot off the Apple cell, 12:00 to 14:30, which is also what Eskom's end is stating... also my aquaintance who's between Willowmore and Uniondale also has his times reported by Eskom at least, not sure if he uses the ESP app., also two hours before the actual event (thus must surmise in UTC) and this was never the case until shortly after De Ruiter left, whereafter their times for power outages were always 2 hours before the event... and same with ESP app, at least for us here...

[zs3y]

I see you've been dumbstruck, since I imagined, for about 24 hours that it is not a UTC or 2 hour problem, it hasn't come right, it IS a 2 hour problem and the only thing that would make sense to me is that the times provided by both Eskom and ESP are in UTC, since early March already... any other bright ideas other than attempting to imagining a different reason for the 2 hour discrepancy?

[zs3y]

Yet another screenshot... note the actual blackout started at 14:01:09 local time and according to the ESP integration towards the bottom left is indicating that the blackout started at 12:00, which is the indicated time from Eskom and ESP, but wrong and their times are 2 hours before the actual event... only conclusion I can come to is UTC... also note the prior blacout from 06:00:38 to 08:00:41 which according to ESP etc. should have ended by 06:30 latest... UTC, yes, SAST no....

[tinuva]

I see you've been dumbstruck, since I imagined, for about 24 hours that it is not a UTC or 2 hour problem, it hasn't come right, it IS a 2 hour problem and the only thing that would make sense to me is that the times provided by both Eskom and ESP are in UTC, since early March already... any other bright ideas other than attempting to imagining a different reason for the 2 hour discrepancy?

Good on the attitude.

If there really is a timezone issue (aka UTC vs SAST), it is with YOUR Home Assistant install and not the integration nor ESP.

According to the ESP app on my phone, Gariep (16)'s slot started 14:00.

[zs3y]

Ok, how? you saw the screenshot of the ESP app. it was 2 hours ahead of the actual time the power went south... and so if the Eskom loadshed schedule and so is the API query via HomeAssistant next you'l tell me I'm in a different timezone and that is why... how can I get from 2 different devices the time 2 hours off what you are seeing and they correspond with Eskom's pubished schedule? Please check out what Eskom's side is giving you and let me know whether that also is different from what I'm seeing...

Also if MY home assistant install is the problem, where would you think it may hide the problem? There isn't much one can screw up, unless there's some setting I'm not aware, which I guess is not impossible...

[zs3y]

Ho hum, i guess you're employed by Eishkom or have ties to them, all of a sudden their schedule has changed to the right time... it seems and also the ESP schedule followed suit, somewhat, let me check the cell and my laptop... ok, nice attitude my butt dude, either you work for ESP or Eskom and got this sorted or, someone from one or both of those outfits saw this thread and sorted out their issues, since out of the blue, on my laptop and my desktop, Eishkom's loadshed site show more correct time for us... the jury's still out on ESP, but since they presumably screenscrape or whatever the data from Eishkom, they probably will also be correct now... except on the cell the area needed reselecting and is now 16, not 15, so presumably Home Assistant will croak and need re-configuring of the load shedding device as well, we'll see... Now imagine that this was wrong for just about 2 months and some berk tells you its not 2 hours or a UTC thing... I'm no John Lennon and I think, neither are you....

Thanks though, if you got the relevant outfits to fix their screwup...

[zs3y]

Ok, the issue can be closed, I was hoping that some setting in the device would allow me to tell it that the data its getting is already in UTC and doesn't need converting... couldn't find a way (te dom vir die goed)... Since imagining the problem away, someone alerted the power monopoly of its screw up, please note, some other areas were also not right, hence my thought that they were publishing the times in UTC, maybe, maybe not, but Eishkom's times aren't the same as Municipal times, so most of the people, not living in the sticks, may have never seen incorrect times... as it is, ESP followed Eishkom and now, it has been fixed (for now, I ain't holding me breath, though) and the perfect proof that my imagining it away did not fix it is...

If you scroll up and see a similar screenshot, you will notice (I hope) it saying Gariep (15), which is what we've been all along, as far as I know and now, its Gariep (16), so not only was Eishkom screwing up, but ESP was following them down the same rabbit hole and claiming times things, 2 hours, befoere they happened (Back to the future, maybe?) Anyway, it seems to be correct for now and this 'Issue' which wasn't and issue with the add in, can be closed. ( I'll click on close, meself, not sure if that will work, thouh)

[wernerhp]

Thanks @tinuva for posting the correct answer in your first reply.

If your times are off by 2 hours, first step is to confirm 100% you have the correct zone configured. Many times there are zones with similar names that have different times.

@zs3y please leave your frustrations with Eskom at home. The community volunteering their time doesn't need sarcasm or a bad attitude.

[wernerhp]

PEBKAC