It's one thing to say that you're going green, but it's another thing entirely to live green. Google has something to make it easier for you; it just announced a project called PowerMeter that will help you cut down your home's power consumption.

The Google plan will use smart electricity meters to provide detailed information about your power usage throughout the day, so you can see in real time what happens when you leave the TV playing Animal Planet for Fido all day long. The SmartMeters are already being used by power utilities throughout the country and are expected to replace all conventional meters eventually. With the meters connected to the network, you'll be able to use a new application called Google PowerMeter so you can monitor your home's power consumption throughout the day, from wherever you are.

This is certainly more useful than staring at the power meter outside your house spin faster and faster when your air-conditioner kicks in.

After the jump, see how real Google employees are using it.

Google via Obsessable