In my fellow classmate Madeleine Marshall’s blog “Energy Aware; Will It Ever Come To BC?” she asks the interesting question; whether BC Hydro will adopt the new Energy Aware tablet or not.
Energy Aware is a tablet that displays how much energy a household is currently consuming and has been proven to decrease average household power usage by 20% – a significant number. With the implementation of BC Hydro’s smart meter technology it seems that these products could be integrated to allow for consumers to easily monitor their usage and likely conserve energy.
With the 20% decrease in average power usage, it is obvious that BC Hydro will see a decrease in revenue, but will this be seen as secondary to its public intentions of being “power smart”? I think yes; BC Hydro is a sustainable and efficient company that has encouraged conservation for years. These intentions seem genuine and this product could largely contribute to the long-term goals of the company.
Madeleine put into question BC Hydro’s legitimacy, and whether BC Hydro was simply in the business for making money and would put profits ahead of this energy-saving idea. BC Hydro is very much invested in sustainable business practices, and with the introduction of this new tablet in the industry, basing off of BC Hydro’s extensive past of conservation and efficiency, BC Hydro’s intentions are legitimate. Even if it is not through the use of this tablet specifically, BC Hydro will use the new smart meter technology to help reduce the power consumption of its users.