How to Make and Keep New Year’s Energy Savings Resolutions

In 2009, President Obama touted an amazing new device the Federal government was ready to sink billions of dollars into: the smart meter.

“So coupled with other technologies, this is going to help you manage your electricity use and your budget at the same time,” he said, according to the Washington Post.

Smart meters in and of themselves are great. However, despite more than 50 million being installed throughout the US, they haven’t led to great changes in energy use.

It turns out that the problem isn’t the smart meter. Rather, it’s a behavioral issue among Americans at large. They’re just not changing what they do to save energy.

Are you one of the millions who find it difficult to make lasting change?

We’re not here to preach at you or scold you. Because that actually decreases the likelihood you’ll engage in energy-saving behavior.

Instead, we’re here to help you figure out how you can make energy-saving behavior a successful change.

1. The Challenge: “Rational Inattentiveness”

“Rational inattentiveness” is really just a fancy phrase researchers used to describe an easy-to-understand behavior: you don’t pay attention to your energy use because you don’t immediately experience how it negatively affects you.

They use the example of gas prices. Practically everyone knows where the price of gas sits at any given moment.

And the instant it goes up by a few cents, you hear about it almost everywhere.

That’s because Americans directly experience the exact consequences of higher gas prices at the pump. They feel that pain. It’s annoying and inconvenient.

And so they’re much more likely to change their driving behavior because that pain is up front-and-center.

2. Applying This Concept to Smart Meters

The biggest leap for smart meters has been using an online website to show consumer energy use this moment.

But that doesn’t necessarily calculate your costs and savings for changing your behavior.

Smart meters that show your electricity usage live are a giant leap forward. But they do fail to connect with millions of consumers.

So, what’s the solution?

3. Prepaid Electricity

Nationally, prepaid electricity is rare. Most Americans have never heard of it. But here in Texas, it’s readily available.

Studies have found that since you have to pay for your electricity before you use it, you’re more likely to use it efficiently.

In fact, consumers on prepaid plans save around 10% on their electric bill each month.

Fortunately, you can get exactly this with Pronto Power. And using our online energy monitoring software, the average customer saves 20% (not 10%).

Savings are right within your grasp. And now making and keeping your New Year’s resolution to save energy is easy to do.