Always an advocate for energy savings, including riding TriMet and turning off unused lights at home, English was an obvious choice to help test Energy Tracker.

Made possible by a new generation of smart meters and the smart grid, Energy Tracker provides free, online, hourly energy usage feedback, tips and recommendations. PGE customers can put Energy Tracker to use in their home by registering for online services at PortlandGeneral.com.

Finding savings
As an early adopter of Energy Tracker, English discovered that simple questions about her home, family and appliances could help her find energy savings.

“Right away, Energy Tracker taught us to save by comparing our homes to others” she said. “We began to turn off the computer at night and swapped our lights for compact fluorescent bulbs.”

Watching where the energy goes
As she began using Energy Tracker, she could easily see how showers and meal preparation for herself and her three older children used a lot of energy. She made the recommended changes, watched her daily usage and applied for an Energy Trust of Oregon Energy Saver Kit.

“We were quickly saving over $20 per month. We could even see how energy use spiked with extreme weather or when family came to visit,” she said with a smile.

For her, the math made perfect sense. “Analyzing my energy, even by the hour, is easy,” she says. “Energy Tracker is a great tool that helps me explore my bill and find ways to save.”