How would you like if your electric meter reduced the thermostat by a degree when you are fast asleep in a cosy blanket. Most wouldnt even realise the difference. Or how about the washing machine or dish washer switching themselves on at off-peak periods , say at the middle of the night? Not only does this help improve the electric grids efficiency by distributing the load evenly, it even helps the consumer save a few dollars. Not to mention help reduce the carbon footprint.
North America is leading the way in testing out smarter grid technologies. The utility Xcel Energy Inc. plans to soon begin a $100 million smart grid project reaching 100,000 homes in Boulder, Colo. The electric grids can talk balk to the meters and inform the consumer that the demand on the grid is too high. Consumers who have opted in will be able to program the meters to respond accordingly (say by allowing the air conditioning to increase temperature by 2 degrees) or switching off the pool pumps.
The technology is finally expected to warp into a kind of scale where a consumer would be able to ask his home to either maximize comfort or maximize savings and accordingly the meter would talk with the grid. Companies such as EnerNOC Inc. have built software and sensor networks that can remotely dim lights or raise refrigerator temperatures inside businesses, in an instant.