CHAPTER 3
Get Smart
If you put an energy meter inside a home and show people total usage in real time, a miraculous thing happens: they use about 10 percent less energy. The simple act of placing data in front of people changes their behavior.
Some are calling this phenomenon the “Prius effect,” referring to how people respond when they see real-time fuel-efficiency data while driving the popular Toyota hybrid model. As the Washington Post described in May 2008, the Prius effect “can change driving in startling ways, making drivers conscious of their driving habits, then adjusting them to compete for better mileage.” Data makes people smarter and inspires them to make small changes to save money and energy.
Likewise, companies can use ...
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