Will consumers plug into home energy displays?
Dozens of home energy monitors are coming to market, but nobody knows whether only hybrid Prius owners will use them. Martin LaMonica reports on CNet News.
“The gadgets themselves vary, but the common thread among them is the ability to capture a stream of energy information from a meter at a given moment. Simply by surfacing real-time data, either with a small device or Web software, it’s believed the system will prompt people to change their habits and ratchet down consumption by 5 percent to 15 percent, according to studies.
But even as more sophisticated and user-friendly products come to market, it’s unclear whether consumers will track energy use regularly, particularly once the novelty wears off.”
