Watt's So Smart About That?

A few years ago, I installed a programmable thermostat in my home, making it that much easier to keep my pets from hogging the A/C while I was away at work. Well that, and it saved me some money, too.

Now, Microsoft is trying to tap into the smart grid and cloud technology to offer users a chance to see their energy output and potential waste on their individual home. Although the site, Hohm, officially launched last June, as Ars Technica reports today, only recently has it actually become useful, with users now being able to type in their zip code and address to find out their home's cost.

While there are still plenty of flaws with the system (I typed in my address, and my energy costs were shown to be about double what my actual costs are), it has potential.

And competition as well. Google's PowerMeter is the same basic idea - harnessing smart grid technology (still in its infancy) to give users a better understanding that, when they keep their TVs and cell phone chargers plugged in all day, they are still drawing power.

All of this technology is fine, of course, but it makes you wonder - if it takes 18 servers to help me save a few watts of power, isn't that still a waste of energy?