ESP32 Energy Usage Monitor – Need Suggestions Before Starting

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to build a small IoT project using ESP32/8266 to measure home energy usage through sensors and log the data for analysis.

Goal:
• Read real-time power consumption using CT sensor or pulse LED on meter
• Store/visualize data through serial/cloud/local dashboard
• Receive alerts when usage rises above a set threshold

I want advice from the community on:
1. Which sensor setup gives better accuracy for household load?
2. Any recommended libraries for ESP energy monitoring?
3. Is it better to start with CT (SCT-013) or read meter pulse output?

This is a learning project, so any guidance, similar projects or optimization tips are appreciated. 
Thanks!