Energy experts have recommended energy meters for years to help homeowners determine which appliances are sucking electricity. The big problem is that it was almost cost-ineffective to do so and the meters weren’t very “smart” and technology-friendly.
Fortunately, a startup based in Austin (where we are also headquartered), decided to take a different approach. A team of scientists, designers, and engineers came together to develop a smart-meter. The result is an award-winning product that turns a home into a smart-home.
Updating the home to be more tech savvy
In 2011, the idea for CURB was born. Cars were being integrated with technology to get different reports about their efficiency, why couldn’t homes have the same capability? The next year, the company was birthed when more data-loving engineers and scientists came on board.
By 2013, the team had the first energy-smart units developed and ready for testing. In the past few years, CURB has won multiple awards, such as the 2015 Alphalab Gear National Hardware Cup, and most recently, the SWSX “Best in Show” in the startup category at the Capital Factory, and the McDonald’s SWSX Internet of Things Challenge, where it outshone more than 80 other contenders.
How does CURB work?
CURB plugs into the breaker system of your home and connects to an app on your laptop or mobile device. It allows you to see, in real-time, your power usage, but that’s not all it does. Here are just a few of the ways CURB works to make your home a smart-home:
• Manage your energy budget by setting a threshold for energy use. You get a reminder if you’re going over your budget to make adjustments to stay within your price range.
• Watch which zones in your home use the most electricity, day by day, throughout the day.
• Compare your electricity use to others with the same-size home.
• Get reports and recommendations from the app to manage your bill.
• Get a reminder if you leave the stove or an appliance on or unusual energy drains.
CURB is available for $349 plus shipping. It has fulfilled its original campaign, and the units have been shipped. According to some of the commenters, the system is easy to install and understand.
One customer wrote, “I received my unit at the end of January and installed without a hitch as soon as I could. Wow. I thought I knew what was going on power-wise in my house — nope. I was optimizing the wrong things. Have patience folks, it’s totally worth the wait.”
CURB takes homes to a new level with smarter technology.
#CURB
