'Smart' power meters herald future of our electricity use

May 4th, 2008 in Technology / Energy
'Smart' power meters herald future of our electricity use (AP)

A new Smart Meter is seen at the home of Darrell Brubaker in Elizabethtown, Pa., Thursday, March 20, 2008. Brubaker saved money almost every month, up to about 6 percent off his regular electric bill, after volunteering for a PPL Corp. pilot program made possible by a "smart" meter. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

(AP) -- Determined to cut his electricity bill, Darrell Brubaker took the usual steps of raising his air conditioner's thermostat and cooking more on the grill. But the key to maximum savings - as much as 6 percent a month last summer - was his grasp of the state of the electrical grid and his family's willingness to adjust their power usage accordingly.

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