Since last year most of us have had a smart meter installed at the side of our home. I imagine most homes owners are aware of the time of use billing. You’ve probably made adjustments to when the laundry is done, when the oven is turned on, heating and cooling temperature settings and so on.

With all the energy saving devices we have available, perhaps the most useful is the information we can get from our own local utility for free. In Waterloo Ontario, my utility has tools on their website that shows my usage compared with the time of day rates. It also shows the outdoor temperature though out the day and plots it along with the rest of the information.

By checking in on this information from time to time, you can chart your own energy saving progress. If you also live in Waterloo and want to try this, go to

Here’s the path information takes from your smart meter to your electricity bill

via How Your Smart Meter Works.