Smart grid technology might help us solve our energy problem
by burning the energy inefficient candle at both ends. If you’ll forgive me for
that metaphor, please feel free to read on to find out more.
Like the radio segment points out, smart meters, combined
with internet software, can allow consumers to monitor how much electricity
they are using throughout the day.
I think a big problem with energy consumers is that the idea
of saving energy is too abstract. It’s like the issue of over-population. You
can’t really see or interact with overpopulation. We’re crowded sometimes, but
then we see those big stretches of land in eastern Oregon and think: “Nah, it’s
ok, I’m gonna go ahead and have 8 more kids.” When you start thinking about
people as entities requiring the consumption of food, energy, healthcare, etc,
you begin to see a clearer picture of the problem.
Electricity bills are the same way. We know that it would
benefit us and the community if we used less, but with such a small amount of
interaction- a once a month monetary value and a bar graph- it’s harder to make
an effort to conserve. Creating software where you can see your daily energy
use could help a lot, by reinventing the way we engage with the energy grid.
Personally, I’m a cheapskate. I keep a coffee can full of
change at my house. Sometimes I don’t tip my baristas. Sometimes I even steal change from my friends.
Hey, if they cared about it, they wouldn’t have left it on the ground. I’m sure
if I got the chance to easily interact with my electric bill, on a day to day
basis, I would go the extra mile to keep my expenses low. I’d unplug my
appliances, eat by candlelight, not leave my blender on when I leave the house.
I’d be a new man. I’d also lesson the demand for power, and help save the
planet, all in the name of the some extra cash. Now that’s something I can get
behind.
They say that it’ll take 20 years before a majority of
people will have smart meters, but I think that’s only if we sit back and wait
for them to happen. Start complaining to your power company today, and someday
soon- through our prodding, pestering, and cheapskatery- we’ll all be able to
save money, and as a byproduct, save the planet. Keep hope alive.
By Jeff Kelsay
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