Cut Your Energy Bills And Carbon Footprint With Google PowerMeter

Google has introduced a new tool called Google PowerMeter. The tool is aimed at helping users better understand their energy usage and bills.

Google PowerMeter is an application which when combined with a "smart meter" will allow you to see your own energy usage information almost in real time. By tracking energy usage in next to real time users could use this information to figure out how much energy is used by different household activities.

By gathering that information you can see which appliance generate the most demand and at what times during the day. Customers on tiered programs, where energy prices increase at specific times during the day, can track appliance draws and use appliances with higher demand at other times. Or you can use the information to track which items are creating greater demand and possible update them to new more efficient models.

In order to work with the Google PowerMeter program homes must be equipped with advanced energy meters called "smart meters." Google says there are currently about 40 million smart meters in use worldwide, with plans to add another 100 million in the next few years.

For now, Google PowerMeter is a closed beta program. At this time they are not accepting direct sign ups. Those of you wanting more information are invited to joining the Google mailing list and they promise that once Google PowerMeter is ready, they'll be opening up the program to everyone.