Smart meters for residential electricity use are all the rage today. But if Americans are to cut their household electricity use by a substantial margin and save tens of billions of dollars in the process, the nation’s electric utilities will have to lend a hand by providing consumer-friendly “residential feedback” tools, including real-time (or near-real time) Web-based or in-home feedback devices (such as the
Google PowerMeter or
BlueLine Innovation’s PowerCost Monitor) and enhanced billing approaches, according to a major new study by the nonprofit
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
The ACEEE analysis shows that advanced metering initiatives now being used by many utilities are neither necessary nor sufficient alone for providing households with the feedback that they need to achieve energy savings. To realize potential feedback-induced savings, advanced meters must be used in conjunction with in-home (or on-line) displays and well-designed programs that successfully inform, engage, empower, and motivate people.
ACEEE’s new report analyzes the results of 57 different residential sector feedback initiatives performed between 1974 and 2010. With approximately 115 million households nationwide, aggregate residential sector energy savings could make a meaningful contribution to U.S. energy security and climate goals, according to the study, which also details potential consumer pocketbook savings. Through tools such as real-time feedback and enhanced billing, residential electricity consumers can better evaluate their energy consumption practices, determine how energy is being wasted, and then take action to be more energy efficient.
Watch a streaming audio recording of a recent news event discussing the study. Experts offer their analysis of the study as well as ideas for better understanding consumer behavior and future trends for energy monitoring. The
recording will be available on the web as of 6 p.m. EDT on June 29.
Photo: The PowerCost Monitor by Blueline Innovations is a wireless energy monitor that shows how much electricity the user’s home consumes in a minute-by-minute format. It presents total electricity costs in dollars and cents and in kilowatt hours, and users can see their peak energy cost within the last 24 hours.