Informing consumers re power usage

Smart meters could help you save power ? Coolest Gadgets – ok here is a story about some fancy new smart meter that will help consumers make good decisions. Seems dumb to me – how many of us ever actually look at our meter? OK if I had a webpage for my meter and could see that, maybe.

But what i want is direct feedback on the device I am using. When I crank my thermostat, I want it to tell me right there what my decisions will cost me this month. When I turn on the lights, I want feedback right at the switch. I want a channel on my tv that tells me the energy usage of my tv/video setup. Feedback needs to be embedded right in the device if you really want to make consumers more aware.