Glendale flips switch on 'Farmville'-type tool for smart meter customers

A Facebook application that allows smart meter customers to gauge how much energy their using compared to others went live today, Glendale officials announced.

Starting today, Glendale Water & Power customers can connect their utility accounts to the "Opower" app via Facebook and see how they stack up to others in terms of energy consumption.

Officials have described the app as sort of a "Farmville" type social networking experience.

The app plays into what city officials have said is a key element of the smart meters -- the ability of customers to track their consumption in near real-time to better control costs.

Glendale Water & Power is one of the first utility companies to join the pilot program featuring Opower, which will allow roughly 4 million energy users from California to Chicago to create competitions and share insights.

Besides "fostering friendly competition" among friends, consumers can also use the Opower  platform to share their experiences and energy saving tips, according to Glendale Water & Power. 

To get started, customers may visit social.opower.com or search for the Opower app on Facebook and connect their utility account.

-- Jason Wells, Times Community News

Twitter: @JasonBretWells