Microsoft Hohm is a neat, cloud-based energy management service, but until now, that’s where it has remained — in the clouds.
On Tuesday, the company announced a partnership with Blue Line Innovations for a Hohm-ready version of the company’s wireless PowerCost Monitor, thus allowing you to see real-time data about your household energy use without cracking open the old laptop.
The device connects to a Hohm profile online to keep track of historical data, so you’ll know how your daily routine, seasonal changes and any efforts to make an impact have affected your actual energy use.
The bottom line: no more waiting until the end of the month to see the financial damage inflicted by leaving your air conditioner on during the heat wave that swept the nation last week. Now you can see what it’s running you and make the call before the bill lands in your mailbox.
The partnership is less important for the device itself, which has been on the market for years, than for the notion that it’s the first step Microsoft is taking to connecting Hohm to, well, your home. Coming soon: smart plugs, HVAC, appliances, thermostats, lighting and cars, all feeding into your Hohm profile.
As I’ve said before, it’s like Mint for your energy use. Who doesn’t want that?
Previously on SmartPlanet:
