Smart Grid in Your Home

Apps Make Energy Saving Fun

Speaking of fun, OpenPeak has designed an energy-managing device, the Home Energy Manager, that also allows you to check in with Facebook, Twitter, news and weather — and listen to music. “We realize that the average person might not get that excited about energy management,” says David Barclay, director of energy management for OpenPeak, which produces branded products to manage home energy use. “But you care about your Facebook page and Twitter updates. This keeps people more engaged in the energy-saving functionality.”

The energy saving and managing function shows you how much energy you're using right this minute. You can set up monthly goals, monitor your progress, and get energy-saving tips if you're not on track, Barclay says. Preliminary data shows that users may save up to 25 percent on energy use, he says.

Making It Real With Real-Time Usage Data

Or, you could use these managing products as an education tool for family members guilty of routinely leaving the lights on, leaving the hot water running, or leaving the TV, computer, and game systems on.

“I drag the kids over and say, ‘See those lights you left on? Go and turn them off. See how much money we save,’ ” says Mike Beyerle, innovation manager for General Electric. Beyerle tested a GE Home Energy Manager with his own family. “The first thing you get is an education,” he says. For example, you'll be able to find out how much you spend to wash a load of laundry in hot water as opposed to cold water.

Designer Electricity

With smart appliances and a home energy manager, you could set a home energy budget for the month and manage your energy use to hit that target, says Barclay. “You could say, ‘Manage my energy use so my energy bill is 10 percent less than last month,’ ” Barclay says. “The program could suggest a range of tips, reprogram your thermostat, turn off the water heater at night. It's as active as you want it to be. You can go appliance by appliance or you can say, ‘I want to save money. What do you recommend?’ ”