The Google Power Meter: Letting You See What You Really Need to See
No matter how eco-conscious or eco-oblivious a person may be, there comes a time when they have to stop and think about how much electricity they are using in their homes. Google has come up with a great way to help save electricity and money.
From the ninety-eight year old refrigerator (give or take a decade) to the four computers that are currently running without a user in front of them, to the television that is one for the apparent amusement of the golden retriever, you know that a lot of electricity is not only being used, but being wasted as well.
The hard, cold proof of that may be in your mailbox at this very second, looming like a poisonous spider, making you quiver in fear. When it comes to the point that the family is drawing straws to see who has to get the electric bill it is time for some major changes to come about.
Most people will get the bill, freak out and vow that changes will be made. Those changes will be enforced for a week, maybe two and then old habits will start creeping back because there is no real tangible incentive in place to keep them on the straight and narrow. However, that is all about to change.
What if you could have a tool that tells you exactly how much electricity is being used in near to real time and the estimated cost of that use? What if you could watch your usage drop on days when you use common sense and then skyrocket on the days that you do not? And what if that tool could be set to tell you when your energy is nearing or exceeding certain limits? You would pay for such a tool, wouldn’t you? What if the added bonus was that the tool was free?
Google offers the Google PowerMeter, a free electricity monitoring tool that lets you see exactly how much energy is being used in your home and can help you find ways to reduce waste and reduce your energy bill at the same time. The meter will receive its information from the utility company’s smart meter or in home energy management devices and then display the information in chart form on iGoogle (your personalized homepage) so that you can track overall usage, as well as see what appliances or rooms use the most electricity and make the necessary adjustments.