Are high energy costs getting you down? Give the climate, and your pocketbook a boost in 2010 by taking control of household energy use with Google PowerMeter. Google PowerMeter is a free Internet-based service offered by Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, which allows consumers to monitor how much energy they use at home. PowerMeter works in conjunction with an Internet-enabled energy monitor. An energy monitor measures electricity use through your existing wiring system and transmits this information through a network router to your computer. For more information on where to purchase an energy monitor visit The Energy Detective (USA, from $199.00) or AlertMe (UK, from £69). The PowerMeter interface breaks down watts used and their associated cost by the hour, month or year. The Google service is not the only consumer energy management application on the market, but it is the easiest to use. Energy readings are monitored through iGoogle, a personalized homepage information service that is available to all registered Google users. PowerMeter also compares your energy consumption with other users. In a post-carbon world, less is better.
Don’t wait for our elected leaders or captains of industry to ‘fix’ the energy/climate crises. We can all do our own part by making small lifestyle changes, like cutting back on household energy use, to reduce our carbon footprints, and save money. Click here for more information about Google PowerMeter. You may also want to check out an informative University of Oxford study that examines the impact of near real-time energy consumption feedback on consumer behavior.
By Dr. Jonathan Harrington (1/1/2010)
Note: Dr. Harrington has no affiliation with any companies referred to in this article.
Jonathan Harrington
Climate Diet Times 