Imagine not knowing how much you are spending on groceries every week until you get a bill at the end of the month with one lump sum. This is similar to how your electricity bill works, as KIUC spokesperson, Jim Kelly, explained to Civil Beat during an interview this week. 

But smart meter technology, being rolled out by the Kauai utility starting this month, will eventually enable customers to tell how much it costs them to run their air conditioner and how much electricity they are using daily. 

Olin Lagon explains it well in the comment’s section of Civil Beat’s story today, New Electric Meters Spark Privacy, Health Fears:

For instance, imagine trying to manage your cell phone bill if it weren’t itemized. What would you do to bring it down if you didn’t know if was a text overage, calling overage, etc. Or how would you know how many text messages you have left on your plan on any given day? Our energy bills are like cells phone bills that are not itemized. Why am I paying $300? Is my water heater costing $100 a month? Or my three DVRs costing $150 a month? If these meters can give real time information to residents to help them manage energy costs, this could help tens of thousands save money through this information. High energy costs are hurting way too many ohana.

Weigh in on the discussion here. 

Photo: U.S. Department of Energy