SDG&E and Google have teamed up to allow the utility’s customers to monitor their daily energy usage online. The program combines SDG&E’s digital smart meters with Google’s newly developed PowerMeter gadget.
Currently, the online system can be used only by customers in a portion of Tierrasanta because it was the first community to test smart meters in 2008. SDG&E is installing smart meters for all its 1.4 million customers with the goal of finishing by the end of 2011.
The online data displays the prior-day’s energy use, detailed by the hour, so customers can see exactly when they have used the most energy.
According to SDG&E, their research reveals that when people know how much energy they are using, they cut back by at least 5 to 10 percent. It also found that a third of customers preferred access to their energy usage information through a third-party provider, such as Google.
“It takes a forward-thinking utility to provide information that will help its customers save energy and money,” said Ed Lu, engineering lead for Google PowerMeter. For more information, go to SDG&E’s smart meter web page.
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