Rename “Energy dashboard” to “Utilities dashboard”

[Hedda]

Summary

Propose renaming the user-facing default dashboard from “Energy” to “Utilities", as in public utility (or private utility) (with most common use case being the usage shown from different Utility Meter track consumptions of public utility services), changing this across the Home Assistant UI and official documentation.

For similar reasons to recent renaming of “Add-ons” to “Apps” I propose a renaming the “Energy dashboard” to “Utilities dashboard”.

This rename change will improve clarity for users by better reflecting that this default dashboard is not limited to energy-only. No functional changes are proposed.

Problem

The fact is that this dashboard now also contain water usage too, and based on votes from this linked feature request many agree:

• https://community.home-assistant.io/t/rename-the-energy-dashboard-to-utilities-and-make-it-include-readings-for-all-public-utility-resources-including-electricity-gas-heating-water-and-telecoms-more/338847

Problems with this could be that new and intermediate users risk being confused by the term "Energy" for this default dashboard. The term “Energy” implies a that it is limited to electicity only, or at least do not include other public Utilty services that do not translate to energy, such was water. This naming gap could possibly lead to support overhead and slow onboarding or usage to this default dashboard.

Goals

• Rename the default “Energy dashboard” to “Utilities dashboard”.
  • Make it clear that the default dashboard for “Energy is not limited to energy-only or just electricity monitoring/measurements.
  • Reduce terminology confusion between the term Energy* and Utilities when this default dashboard include non-energy meters.
• Keep the change low risk by limiting it to UI and documentation.

Non-goals

• No changes to Supervisor or Core APIs, schemas, or repo names.
• No changes to add-on build or packaging processes.
• No changes for Container/Core-only users who do not use Supervisor.

Proposal

Update user-facing terminology as follows (incomplete, but painting the picture):

• Rename the default “Energy” dashboard to “Utilities".

• Navigation and headings:

  • Settings → Dashboards → rename default “Energy” dashboard → “Utilities”

• Documentation:

  • Replace “Energy” with “Utilities” in all user-facing docs and guides when it is specifically in reference to this default dashboard.

  • Add a one-line explainer on first mention: _Utilities dashboard (formerly called Energy dashboard)

  • Take special care to update the "Understanding Home Energy Management" and "Home Energy Management webpages":

    • https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/energy/

    • https://www.home-assistant.io/home-energy-management/

• Developer docs:

  • Introduce the term “Utilities” when describing user-facing concepts of this default dashboard. Where needed, reference the historical term: formerly known as the Energy dashboard.

  • Keep technical identifiers and APIs as-is for now. Note this explicitly to avoid confusion. Could make redirects later if needed but for the initial step and scope of this proposal not needed.

Rationale

• User mental model: Users already understand that "Utilities" here refer to public Utility services (as in tracking electricity, gas, heating, water, and telecoms, internet service provider consumption via utility meters or online services/APIs for public utlities. Seeing a default dashboard for only "Energy" sets the expectation of some day maybe having separate default dashboards for other common public Utility services.

  • https://community.home-assistant.io/t/rename-the-energy-dashboard-to-utilities-and-make-it-include-readings-for-all-public-utility-resources-including-electricity-gas-heating-water-and-telecoms-more/338847

• Clearer separation of concepts: with Utilities being seen as catagory of different public Utility services than can also include other measurments than electricity, such as example Water. You can already have different Utility Meters than for "energy":

  • https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/utility_meter/

• Low risk: Purely a labeling and docs change. No data migration, no behavior change, no compatibility concerns.

• Precedent: Past nomenclature cleanups reduced confusion without changing functionality, such as for example the recent renaming of “Add-ons” to “Apps”. This follows the same pattern.

Impact

• UX: Users find the right place faster and form the correct mental model sooner. Fewer “what is the difference” questions.
• Docs: Search and onboarding improve when terms match the architecture. Screenshots and examples need refresh.
• Translations: String updates required. The primary English term will be Utilities. Translators can choose local equivalents where “Utilities” is preferable in target languages.

Implementation Plan

Follow the same plan as for the recent renaming of “Add-ons” to “Apps” with main implementation done by lead core/UI developers:

• Rename “Add-ons” to “Apps” #1287

After change is done in Home Assistant's include mention in release notes in a similar fashion as for the 2026.2 release notes:

• https://home-assistant.io/blog/2026/02/04/release-20262/#add-ons-are-now-called-apps

Link to updated webpages about Understanding Home Energy Management (and possibly rename as well as add redirect for them):

• https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/energy/

• https://www.home-assistant.io/home-energy-management/

Utlity prices are very high again now so it would be very on-topic today to make a new blog post about how HA could save Utilities.

Alternatives Considered

• Keep this default dashboard as being named “Energy” and add more explanations that it is not limited to just energy or electricity.

• Choose a different new term than "Utilities" to describe monitoring of all utility meter type devices from public Utility companies/services (or private consumtion meters), such as maybe "Utility Meters" or "Utility Metering" or "Utility Monitoring".

• Does not address the naming mismatch in the UI, relies on users finding and reading docs.

• Energy can be less clear to non-technical users. “Utilities” or "Utility Meters" or "Utility Metering" or "Utility Monitoring" or would all more intuitive.

Risks and Mitigations

• User adjustment period.

  • Mitigate with a clear release note and a temporary in-UI note.

• External content will still says “Energy” until third-party update it**.

  • Mitigate with a docs note: Utilities dashboard (formerly default Energy dashboard). Over time the new term will propagate.

• The term "Utlities" can overlap with term used for a catagory of third-party utility applications.

Open Questions

• Choose instead different new other than "Utilities” or go with a longer "Utility Meters" or "Utility Metering" or "Utility Monitoring"?

• Keep this default dashboard as being named “Energy” and add more explanations that it is not limited to just energy or electricity?

• Completly updated webpages on Understanding Home Energy Management and possibly rename as well as add redirect for them?

  • https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/energy/

  • https://www.home-assistant.io/home-energy-management/

Utlity prices are very high again now so it would be very on-topic today to make a new blog post about how HA could save Utilities.

Changelog

TL;DR Suggestion to rename the default Energy dashboard to Utilities in the UI and docs to better match reality and reduce confusion with use case and its limitations. No functional change, low implementation effort, high clarity gain.

[parautenbach]

To consider: I call my custom dashboard "Resources" (shortened from "Natural Resources"), which keeps it closer to my intent and less commercial. My intent is to be mindful of using natural resources, with saving money a secondary consideration, but that's just me.

[balloob]

I vote for keeping it energy for now.

Most people don't have water, and it's mainly used for energy. We also don't call it "things" but devices and services, even although there is a sun, moon and other things in our entities.