Westborough-based National Grid is hoping a small, calculator-like handheld device that monitors power usage throughout the home will help homeowners save on electricity costs.
The utility provider, along with Canadian company Blue Line Innovations, recently began a program to test the PowerCost Monitor in 300 homes statewide.
The monitor allows customers to see how much electricity they are using and what they’re spending on it, the company said. It works by connecting to a residential electric meter and wirelessly transmitting data to a calculator-type receiver that in turn displays electricity usage information.
“We know that energy efficiency, reducing costs and helping the environment are important to our customers,” said Robert H. McLaren, regional president for National Grid in Massachusetts. “Through this pilot, we hope to learn whether the monitor is an effective conservation tool.”
