Google PowerMeter: One step closer to the Google Toilet

[app103]

Remember this comical video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrontojPWEE

Well, Google just moved a little closer to that being a reality by introducing Google PowerMeter.

If you are a customer of a limited number of power suppliers (only 3 in the world right now), then Google can now track your electricity usage and make suggestions to help you save energy. And they are making a game of it by awarding badges if you follow their suggestions, encouraging you to compete with your friends and family to see who can collect the most badges the fastest... all while providing them with your energy consumption data.

http://thenextweb.com/google/2010/08/31/google-gets-into-the-badges-game-for-your-electricity-bill/

[CleverCat]

Hmmm - our electricity is costing us a bomb! Last month's Council Bill came to almost as much as one of Mum's Pensions...

We're as frugal as you can get - we need a Medal not a Badge! 

[mrainey]

Are they going to come in the night and confiscate my 100-watt light bulbs?

[rgdot]

I signed up via my local power company, can see daily usage stats among others. Useful in some ways, privacy notwithstanding. Although I don't see how this is really a big privacy thing considering that the power company installs 'smart meters' and that's very mandatory but yes signing up to view stats adds a point of entry to snoops I guess.

[Stoic Joker]

They had one of those Conserve Energy/Green Earth campaigns in our town a few years back. Conned everybody into buying a bunch of (big ticket) appliances etc. so they could "Save Money" (total crock of shit that was).

Power companies profits started to dip due to so many folks conserving energy ... so they raised the rates to compensate - now the bills are almost twice as high as they were before we started to (conserve...) "Save Money" (Yeah, for them).

[rgdot]

I am not excusing big corporations including power companies, I would never do that, I am more 'left' than most of you. But under the current set up or system being green is not and will not be cheap, I remember people complaining at municipal meetings when (green box) recycling was being implemented. By 'current setup' I mean when companies, even if non-profit, take up operations such as recycling, green power generation, etc

Sorry for veering off topic