While every good eco geek eagerly waits for the utility company to install smart metering -- the system that tells you how much energy you're using in real time -- Google has launched a do-it-yourself online tool called PowerMeter. It allows you to view your electricity use by day, week, or month, and each chart is broken down into total usage and "always on" power- -- the electricity your appliances consume in standby mode (when you think they're off). The service is free, but you'll need to buy a home power meter to get it to work: Google has partnered with TED (The Energy Detective), which sells a device for $199.95.