Without getting spiritual on us, I remember being told once on giving as we approached Christmas – the people in need are ready to receive – what we needed was the givers!

This time is 100% the other way about, the givers have assembled and are busy giving. But the receivers – except for a small minority of energy saving enthusiasts – do not have this high enough on their financial agenda to care.

We have just published a look at the use of Smart Meter Data in CA – PG&E rate payers. 4.4 million meters implemented, the access to data available for 6 months plus. The uptake of this most excellent resource (waiting on PG&E to confirm use statistics) is sadly low – probably around 3%

http://open4energy.com/forum/home-energy-saving-smart-meters/smart-meters-energy-monitoring-data

I understand that an electricity bill is not the biggest item on a consumers list of monthly costs, living in a small apartment it is actually less than the cost of a cheap dinner out for my wife and I – far less – but we have to get past making decisions based on $’s – these energy savings to matter – and I sincerely hope that this initiative might get some traction.

But I fear, that like littering, where we had years of campaigning for social change, it was only when punitive legislation was enacted that people began to pay attention.

I may sound nuts, but the sooner we pass a law saying it is an act of treason to leave an incandescent light bulb burning for a whole night (i.e. not replaced with a LED or CFL) the fine will be $800.00 or 6 months in jail – we are going to see continued consumer apathy.

The issue is waste, the implications impact our national economy, the dependence we have on foreign oil, and the continued damage to our air from coal.

I so hope that we will never need such punitive legislation, but people please wake up and know that the light you do not turn off, the HVAC system you leave un-maintained, the thermostat un-attented is slowly killing your neighbor!