When it comes to energy conversation, there are two kinds of consumers: Those who want to save money and those who want to save the planet.
Troy Batterberry, general manager of Microsoft Hohm, says the two groups are known as "the greenies" and "the greenbacks" at Microsoft. So when it was putting together the PowerCost Monitor and WiFi, it set up the software to be meaningful to both groups: Consumers can measure their energy use by kilowatts, by dollars or by carbon footprint.
The system works like this: The core technology is a sensor that homeowners attach to their electrical meter (no electrician required). It sends information to a monitor inside the house and to a WiFi gateway, so consumers can go on to their computers and use the browser to get to the Microsoft Hohm "cloud" and view their usage. No software needs to be downloaded.
When they turn on their air conditioners they can watch how their electricity usage spikes.
But how much does tracking usage change a consumer's behaviour? Peter Porteous, Blue Line Innovation's CEO, says a number of long-term studies by utilities on the sensor and monitor have found that consumers can save up to 18 per cent on their electricity bills, although most savings "were in the high single digits."
The Microsoft Hohm software, however, can help make the savings higher because it allows homeowners to track in more detail where energy consumption is going, how their home compares with similar homes (are you an energy hog or energy miser?), to see usage trends over time - and to get ideas on how to improve energy conservation.
People will buy the PowerCost Monitor and WiFi to save money, Mr. Batterberry said, but eventually the "greenbacks" become "greenies."
"The purchase driver is to save money but they are happy to be saving the environment, too."