Utilities are also accelerating — some say faster than the reliability of the gear — to new smart grid technology, thanks in large part to barrels of federal government stimulus money.

At the other end, homeowners are players as tools for home energy management fall into their hands but also sideline observers as a utility rolls to the curb to install their smart meter. The giant California utility PG&E and others are slowly letting rate payers access their accounts online, though the emphasis is more on digital bill payment than on their limited user-enabled home energy management services. There are significant bumps along the road. Some cities, state commissions and advocacy groups have raised concerns ranging from the accuracy of the smart meters, excessive customer surcharges, loss of homeowner control, arbitrary time-of-use pricing and a lack of education of the customer base.