The ZEN04 800LR Smart Plug isn’t just a handy way to turn things on and off—it’s also a great little gadget for keeping an eye on how much power your devices are using. It can send your Z-Wave hub live updates on wattage, amperage, voltage, and kWh so you know exactly what’s going on.

The thing is, more isn’t always better when it comes to power reports. Z-Wave runs on a shared, low-bandwidth network, so every single report your smart plug sends takes up space other devices could be using. If your ZEN04 is set to report too often—especially if you’ve got it sending both time and change-based reports—it can end up spamming your network. That can slow down your automations, cause delays when you turn things on or off, and sometimes even make devices seem like they’ve gone offline for no reason.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how the ZEN04 communicates in both Z-Wave mesh and Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) modes, what “bandwidth” actually means for your smart home, and how to tweak the settings so you get all the useful data you want without your network feeling clogged.

Mesh vs. Z-Wave Long Range: How Your ZEN04 Talks to the Hub

Before we jump into tweaking settings, it’s worth knowing how your ZEN04 actually sends those power reports back to your hub—because it can make a big difference in how much the extra traffic affects your system.

 

Z-Wave Mesh works kind of like a relay race. Messages hop from one device to another until they reach the hub. That means if your smart plug can’t talk to the hub directly, it’ll pass its messages through other Z-Wave devices along the way. The upside is that this can extend range and help cover tricky spots in your home. The downside? Every hop adds a little bit of delay, and when you’ve got a bunch of devices reporting a lot of data, it can slow down the whole team.

 

Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) skips the relay race and goes straight for the finish line. The ZEN04 talks directly to your hub from farther away, which means fewer hops and less chance for delays. LR is great if your plug is far from other Z-Wave devices or you just want to cut down on network chatter.

 

Why it matters: In mesh mode, all those power reports from your ZEN04 have to squeeze through the same pathways other devices are using. In ZWLR mode, those reports go straight to the hub without jamming up the rest of the network.

Bandwidth Basics: Why Too Many Reports Can Slow Things Down

Think of your Z-Wave network like a single-lane road that all your smart devices share. Every command—turning on a light, locking a door, sending a power report—has to travel down that road. If one device starts sending updates constantly, it’s like a slow-moving truck hogging the lane: everything else has to wait its turn.

Z-Wave is designed to be efficient, but it’s still low-bandwidth, meaning it can only handle a certain amount of traffic at once. If your ZEN04 is reporting power usage every few seconds, especially if it’s sending multiple types of reports (watts, volts, amps), that traffic can pile up fast. When that happens, you might notice:

• Delays when running automations.

• Devices taking longer to respond to on/off commands.

• Sensors or switches occasionally dropping offline.

The good news? You can control how often your smart plug reports by adjusting its settings. The goal is to strike a balance—enough reports to give you useful data, but not so many that your network feels like rush-hour traffic.

Setting Up Power Reporting for Optimal Performance

Your ZEN04 gives you two main ways to control when it sends power updates:

1. Frequency-based reporting – This is the “set it and forget it” option. You tell the plug to send an update every so many seconds or minutes, no matter what’s happening. This is great if you want steady, regular data—like keeping a close eye on a fridge or sump pump.

2. Threshold-based reporting – Instead of sending reports on a timer, the ZEN04 only checks in when something changes by a certain amount—like the wattage going up or down by a set percentage. This works well if you just want to know when a device starts or stops using a noticeable amount of power.

A few tips for keeping things running smoothly:

• If you’re using frequency-based reporting, try not to go any lower than 30–60 seconds between reports unless you absolutely need faster updates.

• If you’re using threshold-based reporting, pick a percentage change that’s big enough to matter (like 5–10%), so the plug isn’t reporting tiny, unimportant fluctuations.

• Avoid using both methods at the same time unless you’ve got a very specific reason—they’ll stack up and send even more traffic over your network.

• If you don’t care about certain readings (like voltage or amps), turn those reports off to save bandwidth.

Next, we’ll get into the exact parameters for the ZEN04 so you can dial in the perfect balance for your setup.

ZEN04 Power Reporting Parameters

The ZEN04 gives you a lot of control over how it reports power, so you can customize it for your exact needs. All of these settings are adjusted by changing the plug’s parameters (aka settings or preferences) through your hub. Below, we have the instructions linked for accessing these parameters on the most popular Z-Wave hubs:

 

How to Access the Advanced Settings for the ZEN04 on Home Assistant

How to Access the Advanced Settings for the ZEN04 on HomeSeer

How to Access the Advanced Settings for the ZEN04 on Hubitat

How to Access the Advanced Settings for the ZEN04 on SmartThings

How to Access the Advanced Settings for the ZEN04 on Z-Box

 

We've included the key parameters to focus on for power reporting. Start by deciding what data you really need. For most setups, wattage is the most useful number. Voltage and amperage are nice to have for diagnostics, but they don’t change often and can flood your network if reported too frequently. If you’re not actively monitoring them, disable those reports entirely.

Parameters for Watt Reporting

Wattage is your go-to for tracking when a device turns on, off, or changes activity. Use threshold reporting if you want updates only when usage changes noticeably—like spotting when a coffee maker finishes brewing. Go with frequency reporting if you need steady updates for logging or live dashboards. If you’re not monitoring energy use at all (and just using the plug for on/off control), disable wattage reporting to keep your network traffic low.

 

Parameter 5 - Watt Report Threshold: Choose how you want your Smart Plug to report power consumption to your hub. The number entered as value corresponds to the number of Watts the appliance needs to go over for the change to be reported. So if 5 Watts are entered by default, the Smart Plug will report any change in power usage over 5 Watts (whether it’s at least 5 Watts more or 5 Watts less compared to the previous report).

Values for 700 series: 5 – 50. Default: 5.

Values for 800 series: 0 - disabled; 1-100. Default: 5. 

 

Parameter 6 - Watt Report Frequency: The number entered as value corresponds to the number of minutes. So if 5 is entered by default, the Smart Plug will report power consumption (Wattage) every 5 minutes.

Values: 1 – 65535. Default: 5 (minutes).

 

Parameter 10 - Disable Watt Reports: Disable or enable power wattage reports sent from the plug. No power wattage reports from the device connected to the plug will be sent back to the hub if power wattage monitoring is disabled. Use this option to minimize the amount of reports you want the receive from the smart plug.

Values: 0 – Power wattage reports enabled; 1 – Power wattage reports disabled. Default: 0.

Parameters for Amp Reporting

Amperage shows how much electrical current a device is pulling, which is helpful for diagnosing performance issues or monitoring high-draw equipment. Use threshold reporting to get alerts only when the load changes by a meaningful amount. Frequency reporting is useful for detailed logging, but for most people, it’s better to disable it unless you have a specific use case.

 

Parameter 7 - Amp Report Threshold: Choose how you want your Smart Plug to report electrical current (Amps) to your hub. The number entered as value corresponds to the number of Amps the appliance needs to go over for the change to be reported. Value 1 equals 0.1 A and value 10 equals 1 A. So if 1 is entered by default, the Smart Plug will report any change in electrical current over 0.1 Amps (whether it’s at least 0.1 A more or 0.1 A less compared to the previous report).
Values for 700 series: 1 – 10 where 1 = 0.1A and 10 = 1A. Default: 1 (0.1A).

Values for 800 series: 0 - disabled; 1-50 where 1 = 0.1A and 50 = 5A. Default: 1 (0.1A)

 

Parameter 12 - Amp Report Frequency: The number entered as a value corresponds to the number of minutes. So if 30 is entered, the Plug will report electrical current values (Amperes) every 30 minutes.

Values: 1 – 65535 Minutes. Default: 60.

 

Parameter 11 - Disable Amp Reports: Disable or enable electrical current reports sent from the plug. No electrical current reports from the device connected to the plug will be sent back to the hub if electrical current monitoring is disabled. Use this option to minimize the amount of reports you want the receive from the smart plug.

Values: 0 – Electrical Current (A) reports enabled; 1 – Electrical Current (A) reports disabled. Default: 0. 

Parameters for kWh Reporting

Kilowatt-hour readings track total energy consumed over time—perfect for monitoring monthly usage or comparing how much power different appliances use. Frequency reporting here isn’t very helpful since the total changes slowly. Threshold-based reporting (report after X kWh is used) or a long frequency interval (hours, not minutes) works best. If you’re not doing energy cost tracking, you can disable this to save bandwidth.

 

Parameter 8 - kWh Report Threshold: Choose how you want your Smart Plug to report energy use (kWh) to your hub. The number entered as value corresponds to the number of kWh the appliance needs to go over for the change to be reported. Value 1 equals 0.01 kWh and value 100 equals 1 kWh. So if 1 is entered by default, the Smart Plug will report any change in energy use over 0.01 kWh (whether it’s at least 0.01 kWh more or 0.01 kWh less compared to the previous report).
Values for 700 series: 1 – 100 where 1 = 0.01 kWh (100 = 1kWh). Default: 1 (0.01 kWh).

Values for 800 series: 0 - disabled; 1-200 where 1 = 0.01kWh and 200 = 2kWh. Default: 1 (0.01kWh)

 

Parameter 14 - kWh Report Frequency: Availabe for 800 series only. The number entered as a value corresponds to the number of minutes. So if 60 is entered by default, the Plug will report energy consumption (kWh) every 60 minutes.

Values: 1 - 65535. Default: 60

 

Parameter 15 - Disable kWh Reports: Available for 800 series only. Disable or enable kWh reports sent from the plug. No kWh reports from the device connected to the plug will be sent back to the hub if kWh monitoring is disabled. Use this option to minimize the amount of reports you want the receive from the smart plug.

Values: 0 – kWh reports enabled; 1 – kWh reports disabled. Default: 0.

Parameter for Volt Reporting

Voltage readings are mostly for troubleshooting power quality issues—like if you suspect your outlet is delivering unstable voltage. If you’re not diagnosing electrical issues, it’s safe to turn this off.

 

Parameter 13 - Volt Report Frequency: The number entered as a value corresponds to the number of minutes. So if 30 is entered, the Plug will report Voltage values (Volts) every 30 minutes.

Values: 0 – voltage reports disabled; 1 - 65535. Default: 60.

 

Final Tips & Wrap-Up

Setting up power reporting on your ZEN04 is all about finding that sweet spot—enough data to be useful, but not so much that your Z-Wave network feels like it’s stuck in traffic.

A few things to keep in mind as you dial in your settings:

• Start light, then add more – Begin with just the reports you actually need (usually wattage) and a reasonable threshold or frequency. You can always increase detail later.

• Test changes before moving on – After adjusting a parameter, give it a few days to see how your network behaves. Are automations running smoothly? Is the data meeting your needs?

• Don’t forget the rest of your network – Power-reporting plugs aren’t the only devices talking to your hub. Keep your total network traffic in mind, especially if you have other “chatty” devices like motion sensors or locks.

• ZWLR can be a lifesaver – If you’ve got a plug far from other devices or in a busy mesh network, switching it to ZWLR mode can keep its reports from slowing everyone else down.

With the right balance, your ZEN04 will give you exactly the energy data you want without causing slowdowns—and you’ll have a network that’s both responsive and reliable.