Microsoft Hohm connects with Seattle City Light

Microsoft’s new home energy management service has made a connection with Seattle City Light, the first utility in the country to allow customers to link their energy consumption data directly to Hohm. Microsoft unveiled Hohm — a free online service that tracks energy use and then provides conservation tips — in June.

Seattle City Light — the 9th largest utility in the country — is one of Hohm’s four initial launch partners. But it is the first to allow a direct data feed between its customers and the Microsoft service.

“Our customers understand that energy conservation means lower bills and less impact on our environment,” said Seattle City Light superintendent Jorge Carrasco. “We want to help them use less of our product by giving them the tools like Hohm to manage their energy use wisely.”

There’s certainly a lot of activity in the arena of helping people get a better grasp of energy consumption patterns. Google also is maneuvering in the space with a product called PowerMeter, as is the Seattle startup Evoworx.

Earlier this week, Portland’s Earth Advantage Institute said it won a contract with the City of Seattle to provide its home energy rating software to 5,000 homes in the city. As part of the deal, Earth Advantage will assist in the creation of home energy audits and ratings. It will also provide training to Realtors and appraisers about the energy performance score, which it describes as a “miles-per-gallon” rating system for homes’ energy use. – TechFlash

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