This week Facebook, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and energy information software maker Opower unveiled a free social networking app that enables customers of 16 utilities around the country to “easily start benchmarking their home’s energy usage against similar homes, compare energy use with friends, enter energy-saving competitions, and share tips on how to become more energy efficient.” In theory, 20 million current utility customers could be perusing each other’s utility bills. (All voluntarily, of course: The app connects your energy utility to your Facebook account with your permission and posts your monthly energy use.)
According to NRDC, “improvements in energy efficiency have the potential to deliver more than $700 billion in cost savings in the U.S. alone. Motivating consumers to take action—something that has traditionally been a challenge—is the key to unlocking this potential.”
--Reed McManus / Image from Opower
