Though many Americans are aware of the concept of smart metering – new energy meter technologies that record electricity consumption in intervals, communicating that information to homeowners so they can get a better handle on how much electricity they use and when they use it – it has seemed like a somewhat remote technology to all but the earliest green technology adopters.

Do-it-yourself superstore Lowe’s brought smart metering a little closer to the general public today. The company has announced it is now selling the PowerCost Monitor and its WiFi Gateway plug-and-play accessory, which enables real-time energy feeds to energy management applications like Microsoft (News - Alert) Hohm and Google PowerMeter. The PowerCost Monitor is available in Lowe’s stores located in 24 states, including California, Washington, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, and New York. The PowerCost Monitor is a product of St. John’s, Newfoundland-based Blue Line Innovations, Inc.

This is the first time a bog box retailer has offered real-time energy reporting products, which suggests the homeowner market for smart metering and other types of energy monitoring is expanding. Blue Line Innovations CEO Peter Porteous observed, “The last few years have been fueled by early adopters but we can see that families across the country are looking for simple, proven difference makers to combat their monthly electricity bill. Having product available just down the street is really important to accelerate the market. We really love the Lowe’s energy center concept and think that bundling energy conservation products together as a destination in the store is a winning idea.”

He continued, “We’re really pleased to be working with Lowe’s and supporting their efforts in the energy center. The free applications offered by Microsoft Hohm and Google (News - Alert) PowerMeter have really brought new interest to the category. These are great tool kits for homeowners offering the ability to see, chart, and compare your real time electricity use combined with helpful tips and resources. We’re seeing some really positive results – homeowners have the potential to save six to twelve percent, or more, off their monthly electricity bill.”

The PowerCost Monitor is designed to be installed by consumers without the need for a technician by attaching an optical sensor to the home’s electric meter. The data is then transmitted wirelessly to a portable in-home monitor and through the WiFi (News - Alert) Gateway and an in-home router to the cloud. A recent study using the PowerCost Monitor deployed in 500 Ontario homes by utility provider Hydro One showed an average 6.5 percent drop in total electricity use when compared with a similarly sized control group. 

Porteous added, “Utilities have been asking us to get solid retail distribution in place. Many utilities want to offer energy conservation programs and incentives for their customers but how to make this happen in the field has been a problem. Broad, just down the street product availability, really allows the utility to focus on communicating with their customer and building program awareness.”


Tracey Schelmetic is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Tracey's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell