Always at the forefront of emerging technologies (I’m a firm believer that the first established moon base will be established by these search engine legends) Google has taken a step towards helping consumers track their electricity use with some sophisticated new (and free) software tools.

Dan Reicher, Director for Climate Change and Energy Initiatives Google, is currently working with a number of major utilities companies in the United States, Europe and Asia to make this software available as soon as possible to the public. As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Google says it will use this new software for a program that will show home energy consumption in real time on a user’s computer or a telephone. Google’s research shows that access to home energy information typically saves between 5 percent and 15 percent on monthly electricity bills.

“It will get rolled out very soon to regular energy consumers,” Reicher said, “When I began getting information about my own home, I discovered that I had a 35-year electric motor running for my heating system. That was using huge amount of electricity. I did not realize that’s the change I need to make in my home, and the beauty of the tool we are developing is that is going to be an open source.”