The UK government, in an upcoming report, is set to put forward a plan such that every household in the UK will be able to request a free device that shows how much electricity is being used in the home at any point in time.  The hope is that these "real-time monitors" will help cut greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of energy wasted by appliances being left on standby.  It is estimated that households in the UK are responsible for about one third of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, and as such have been a focus in an attempt to reduce energy consumption.

The UK government recently committed itself to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 60% from 1990 levels by 2050 and this program is seen as one of the steps to fulfilling that goal.

"People can see immediately what impact their behavior has, not just in terms of money but in terms of carbon as well."

The key  is that the devices must provide meaningful information or like anything they'll become a fad/toy and consumers will merely throw them into a drawer and forget about them.  At the end of the day if it helps the consumer save money and cut emissions then it will be a big win all the way around.

BBC link here where you can click on the image on the page and see a much larger view of the interface.