I’m far from what you’d call your typical “tree hugger”. Though I certainly to care about my energy bill and how the army of gadgets I have lays siege to my outlets while I’m away. I currently don’t use any type of monitoring hardware or software. But after seeing the Current Cost + Google Power Meter duo, I’m seriously re-thinking my decision of going it alone. With the Current Cost energy meter in place, I could track my energy usage and post it — In real time! — online with Google Power Meter.

If I lived in the UK that is…

The magic is made possible by UK-based Current Cost EnviR device that attaches to your electric meter isn’t anything too fancy — nothing but a display full of meters. But it’s when you tie that device to Google’s online Power Meter service that the true value shines through. Not only can you simply track energy usage, but sift through complex graphs of past months as well as zeroing down on those “leaky” gadgets and projecting what future electric bills will be.

It’s a very sweet set up that I find myself wishing I lived in a land across the pond. The same technology could be used here of course and in reality, probably is already possible with a U.S.-based hardware meter. But for now, it’s the UK’s tag teaming, electrical monitoring duo that’s got me.

Any UK readers doing this now?

ElectricPig

Tags: bill consumption current cost electricity energy Google meter power

Author: Mike Norris

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Gadget lover, smartphone collector, and beer connoisseur. I've been writing about gadgets for three years now and loving every minute of it. Outside of the digital landscape, I enjoy being active outdoors. I'm always up for a good conversation, so feel free to drop me a line!