Smart energy users: ICT instruments for the consumer awareness
The European Commission is supporting many projects in the field of energy saving, with the aim to improve user behavior and to help Europe to meet emission targets. In October 2012, the European Union adopted the Energy Efficiency Directive with the aim to reduce the primary energy consumption by 20% by 2020. One key point in the reduction of energy consumption energy is the awareness of final users about their usage of energy. At the same time, policies aimed at improving the efficiency of energy use, are a keystone in the strategies of leading Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and energy retail companies that started to offer, in addition to the energy supply, services and suggestions…