Electricity is largely taken for granted. Most people don't pay much thought to how much energy they use, how much it costs, or time-of-use rates. It's hard enough get them to remember their turn their lights off when they leave a room, so why would bother with an app that used their smart meter data?
I wanted to created something that anyone would find interesting, from my Dad to my little sister. But interesting isn't enough; it would need to be 'shocking' enough to make people want to share it.
And so, I made a fun electricity infographic that can be personalized with your smart meter data; it's called 'Secrets from your Smart Meter.'
Here are a few things I think the infographic achieves:
- It helps you actually understand how much electricity you use (a 'kilowatt-hour' is a very abstract concept).
- It tells you where your electricity comes from, and what that means in terms of waste.
- It shows you how your actual usage relates to time-of-use rates.
- You get to understand when you tend to use the most and least, so you can focus on the big issues (ex. A/C in the summer).
- It makes you realize that your electricity use can tell a lot about you, like when you tend to sleep, make dinner, or go on vacation (and so, perhaps sharing your data willy-nilly isn't the best idea).
I'm excited to see this infographic 'go viral' once utilities launch the Green Button API.
