Google is currently testing out a new service called PowerMeter that will allow consumers to use their home computer or mobile phone to retrieve detailed reports on their home's electricity consumption, right from their own meters. Eight utility companies, including Toronto Hydro here in Canada, have signed on to test the service and if all goes well to roll it out as a free offering to their customers later on. Users merely add the PowerMeter Gadget application to their iGoogle homepage and sign in to their account using a secure location. The service than connects to the smart meters already in use by many utilities to download a detailed analysis of electrical consumption that includes graphs displaying peak usage during different periods of the day as well as usage spanning over a week or month. Additional stats help show changes based on past usage. The idea is that, with more awareness users will find better methods for consuming energy that will translate to savings on their bills. The whole project is being offered free to both utilities as well as end consumers.

According to Google, their motivation for the service is "Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful; Google PowerMeter is all about giving users access to their own energy information so they can save energy and money. Studies show a 5-15% reduction in power consumption just by providing energy information to consumers. And if just half of American households cut their demand by 10 percent, the CO2 emissions avoided would be equal to taking approximately eight million cars off the road."

The eight companies participating in the initial test of the Google PowerMeter service include San Diego Gas and Electric (California), TXU Energy (Texas), JES (Florida), Reliance Energy (India), Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (Wisconsin), White River Valley Electric Cooperative (Missouri), Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited (Canada), and Glasgow EPB (Kentucky).