diff --git a/esphome/components/sensor/filter.cpp b/esphome/components/sensor/filter.cpp
index a226ed5af1..7afc43b8aa 100644
--- a/esphome/components/sensor/filter.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/sensor/filter.cpp
@@ -222,7 +222,14 @@ MultiplyFilter::MultiplyFilter(TemplatableValue<float> multiplier) : multiplier_
 
 optional<float> MultiplyFilter::new_value(float value) { return value * this->multiplier_.value(); }
 
-uint32_t get_loop_component_start_time() { return App.get_loop_component_start_time(); }
+bool throttle_check_and_update(uint32_t &last_input, uint32_t min_time_between_inputs) {
+  const uint32_t now = App.get_loop_component_start_time();
+  if (last_input == 0 || now - last_input >= min_time_between_inputs) {
+    last_input = now;
+    return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
 
 // ValueListFilter helper (non-template, shared by all ValueListFilter<N> instantiations)
 bool value_list_matches_any(Sensor *parent, float sensor_value, const TemplatableValue<float> *values, size_t count) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/sensor/filter.h b/esphome/components/sensor/filter.h
index 69fa3f10df..9e97ad432a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/sensor/filter.h
+++ b/esphome/components/sensor/filter.h
@@ -332,8 +332,9 @@ class MultiplyFilter : public Filter {
 /// Non-template helper for value matching (implementation in filter.cpp)
 bool value_list_matches_any(Sensor *parent, float sensor_value, const TemplatableValue<float> *values, size_t count);
 
-/// Non-template helper to get cached loop start time (avoids circular include of application.h)
-uint32_t get_loop_component_start_time();
+/// Returns true if throttle should allow the value through (time expired or first input).
+/// Updates last_input in-place. Implementation in filter.cpp (accesses App without circular include).
+bool throttle_check_and_update(uint32_t &last_input, uint32_t min_time_between_inputs);
 
 /** Base class for filters that compare sensor values against a fixed list of configured values.
  *
@@ -389,10 +390,8 @@ template<size_t N> class ThrottleWithPriorityFilter : public ValueListFilter<N>
       : ValueListFilter<N>(prioritized_values), min_time_between_inputs_(min_time_between_inputs) {}
 
   optional<float> new_value(float value) override {
-    const uint32_t now = get_loop_component_start_time();
-    if (this->last_input_ == 0 || now - this->last_input_ >= this->min_time_between_inputs_ ||
+    if (throttle_check_and_update(this->last_input_, this->min_time_between_inputs_) ||
         this->value_matches_any_(value)) {
-      this->last_input_ = now;
       return value;
     }
     return {};
diff --git a/esphome/core/helpers.h b/esphome/core/helpers.h
index c7f35a2361..ce730e1aed 100644
--- a/esphome/core/helpers.h
+++ b/esphome/core/helpers.h
@@ -504,7 +504,9 @@ template<typename T, size_t MAX_CAPACITY = std::numeric_limits<uint16_t>::max()>
 /// falls back to element-wise copy for non-trivially copyable types (e.g. TemplatableValue).
 /// N is set by code generation; ESPHOME_DEBUG_ASSERT catches mismatches in debug/integration tests.
 template<typename T, size_t N> inline void init_array_from(std::array<T, N> &dest, std::initializer_list<T> src) {
-  ESPHOME_DEBUG_ASSERT(src.size() == N);
+#ifdef ESPHOME_DEBUG
+  assert(src.size() == N);
+#endif
   if constexpr (std::is_trivially_copyable_v<T>) {
     __builtin_memcpy(dest.data(), src.begin(), N * sizeof(T));
   } else {