My Smart Meter

I recently wrote how Northern Ireland Electricity are carrying out a pilot scheme to install smart meters into customers homes in an effort to allow householders greater access to information which could reduce their energy consumption. Having now had my smart meter installed at the end of January I first accessed my account today, having allowed two weeks of energy use without the realisation of being watched, at least not by my family anyway.

The device installed automatically records the information on energy use and sends this daily via phone link to NIE each morning (ie Sunday's usage would be sent Monday at 03:00am). This information is then immediately available via a special website where you can view or export this information. You can view graphical charts, with monthly, daily or half hour readings, which can be viewed in kWh, kW, £ or CO2 emissions.

Other benefits include accurate bills taken from your bank account via direct debit each month on the specific energy used rather than estimated amounts. It allows you to see your attempts to reduced energy immediately rather than from your next quarterly bill; and of course paperless billing.

Canadian research over two-years suggests the overall reduction in consumption was 10%. Other studies have resulted in more conservative reductions of 7%. It will be interesting to see if we can achieve results on a similar scale, and if this will be increased through higher energy costs and economic uncertainty.

Other energy suppliers are also trialling smart meters and if you are interested in getting one installed you should contact your supplier to see if this is available, you can also purchase energy monitors with computer packages that can show you energy consumption real time such as the Wattson Energy Monitor.

Related Articles
NIE Testing Smart Meters
How Much are You Paying for Electricity or Gas?
Gordon Brown Outlines Climate Plans
"Smart Meter?"

House Pass Economic Package

Following hot-on-the-heels of comments from Barack Obama that the US needed to become energy independent the US House has passed the proposed $819 billion economic package 244 votes to 188.

The bill would cut taxes for people and businesses by $275bn, while pumping more than $540bn into a range of initiatives including road and bridge repair, increased unemployment benefits, investment in new technology and renovations to 10,000 schools. But there is also an investment into some carbon reduction measures, including an $11bn cash injection to the creation of a Green Electricity Grid for the US to ensure that the promised doubling of renewable energy over the next three years, with the additional benefit of 460 000 jobs being created.

Measures in the bill to reduce foreign oil dependence include;

• Reverse US dependence on foreign energy
• Review of decision to block states from setting own emission targets
• Orders the transportation department to come up with new short-term rules on how carmakers can improve fuel efficiency
• Federal buildings to become more efficient
• Double 'green' energy from wind, sun and biofuels over next three years

President Obama also ordered the transportation department to come up with new short-term rules on how carmakers can improve fuel efficiency. A 2007 law required that new cars and trucks produced by 2020 obtain 35 miles per gallon of fuel. However, then-President George W Bush did not put in place the regulations to enable the law to be carried out. The new rules Mr Obama wants to put in place would mean the new standard is reached by 2011. This introduction of a 40% improvement in energy efficiency would see a reduction in oil use of 2m barrels a day, almost equivalent to imports from the persian gulf.

Related Articles

Should the Government Spend on Renewables to Beat the Recession?
Green Jobs Boom
Is The Government Right to Scrap the One-Off Winter Fuel Payment?
Reduce Plastic Bag Use by 70% ... Or Else!
Gordon Brown Outlines Climate Plans