Energy app must do more than track consumption

I refer to the report “App to help households gauge energy use slated for 2018 trial” (Oct 25), regarding the call for proposals to provide consumers with information on their utilities consumption through a mobile application.

A comment was made on TODAYonline that consumers’ monthly bills do state their consumption history and thus it is a waste to have an app duplicating the data.

However, there are several reasons an app could help consumers manage their utilities consumption better. First, a bill tells us only the quantity used and cost incurred.

A typical head of household is unlikely to know how to interpret the numbers — for example, 1,536 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, 109kWh of gas and 40 cubic metres of water — stated in the bill.

It is hard to tell how much exactly one is using and whether one is saving enough just by looking at those values.

An app, however, can help us interpret the data better; for example, by using infographics to show how much water the household used that month is equivalent to — say, X number of baths.

The app could also have a function that allows users to compare their usage with other app users, so they can tell whether they are consuming more than typical families do, and if so, how much to reduce by.

Second, our bills allow us to review our consumption only on a monthly basis, whereas the smart metering system intended for the app would be able to read the three meters at half-hour intervals.

This would enable the app to keep track of usage and perhaps send reminders should the household exceed the average daily usage. Daily tracking allows for better control of usage compared with monthly tracking.

Such an app has other potential uses: It could provide conservation tips and even raise awareness of the lack of water accessibility in other parts of the world or the amount of carbon emission caused by electricity and gas generation.

If the app’s only function is to track consumption, then there is not much use for it. Should it have various functions as suggested above, then it would add value to conservation efforts.