• Fair tariffs for consumers, since there are no excessive users who would be penalised,

• Reduced consumption lowers cost to consumers, and

• Reduction of carbon emissions.

For the power utility, there could be additional benefits, if implemented on a national scale. See also our building management section, which explains our wireless management solution.

DSM for the Homeowner

But what about the individual homeowner ? Fortunately, there are a range of products that allow individual users to manage their electricity demand. Monitoring of demand can now be carried out using inexpensive wireless electricity monitors that are very easy to install. These meters can memorise consumption and provide daily, weekly and monthly displays of data, such as consumption, cost and amount of carbon emissions. Some models can download data to a PC.

For monitoring individual plug points, we can supply an inexpensive device that fits between the socket and plug.

Once the pattern of power usage is known, then changes can be made (installing solar heating, or a geyser management device). However, before any measures are put into place, the facts should be known. In my own case, for example, I was surprised to find that the geyser was not the major power consumer.