Google is currently working on an innovative new tool which will give consumers the means with which to easily monitor their home energy consumption. Currently being tested on Google’s own employees, the Google PowerMeter employs smarter energy-tracking devices to monitor daily energy usage, and users can view simple graphs of the data with an uploaded widget on iGoogle pages.
The theory is knowledge provides control. If you do not know how much you are using and which appliances are the most draining, it is difficult to change bad habits or do away with inefficient power-drains. According to Google, simply having a clear picture of your usage in real-time can “save you between 5-15% on your monthly bill,” and “for every six households that save 10% on electricity [...] [they can] reduce carbon emissions as much as taking one conventional car off the road.”
Sounds great to me.
Interested in learning more? Check out Google’s own description of how it works, with a sample graph included.
