Customers of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) are being offered a new tool that will help them see their electricity use in real time and it may help them save money on their power bills. The PowerCost Monitor™ is a device that connects to electric meters and transmits instantaneous energy-usage information to a wireless monitor inside the home. The device shows customers how many kilowatts they’re consuming at any given moment – and how much that’s costing them per hour.
The PowerCost Monitor retails for $149.99 but costs SMUD customers only $39.95 after the SMUD rebate. SMUD will provide rebates for 5,000 monitors. SMUD will provide rebates for 5,000 more monitors in 2009.
The new display is designed to sit on a tabletop or hang on a wall. It gives instant feedback and helps customers understand their energy use better. For example, simply turn on the central air conditioner, clothes dryer or pool pump and see how much your energy use and cost rises. SMUD hopes the heightened awareness translates into a significant reduction in energy use.
In studies conducted by other utilities, consumers who used the device reduced their total energy use by between 6.5 percent and 20 percent, according to the manufacturer, Blue Line Innovations.
SMUD customers can order the product on smud.org or by calling toll free, 1-866-607-2583. Blue Line Innovations is processing the orders and providing all services, including shipping, installation instructions and post-purchase customer support. The monitor is shipped with an instruction manual and a DVD that shows customers how to install the device.
For more information about SMUD or about saving money on your energy bill, visit smud.org.