I really think you should pursue this. It is very interesting. What would make it even better is if you could have the breaker report back to a computer app through some sort of wireless technology. The only hurdle you would have to conquer is how to sell it. Do you pitch it to the electrician, the homeowner or the government?

Maybe it doesn't have to be wireless. With upgraded wiring, it could report directly through the power line.

I was laying in bed last night thinking about this. It is a very good idea. You should really look into seeking some protections for this idea and taking it to the next level. You are right, you could easily use existing technology to make this possible.

I did a patent search, which came up with over a thousand related patents. The ones I've read so far deal with separate aspects of power distribution management (and communication), so hopefully I won't have any problem presenting this idea in light of them all. I might end up even referencing a few of them.

Our city-owned utility is working towards implementing "smart meters". The biggest advantage is automated "reading", but there are forthcoming technologies too. They all sound cool, but have a serious benefit: on a large scale, this could eliminate the need to build more power plants.

- A monitoring device in your house displays your running electrical tab for the month, and your energy consumption in dollars per hour.

- In exchange for a rebate on your electric bill, you allow the utility company to shut off your water heater or adjust your thermostat for a maximum of 2 hours per day, which, in reality, they'll only do if the grid is maxed out--typically on extremely hot summer afternoons. My house is well-insulated and I have a tank water heater, so there's a good chance I wouldn't even notice.

- Instant, demand-based rate changes. Overnight energy would be cheap, and if there's an extreme demand [hot summer day, people are coming home from work], you'd get a blinking red light with "Rate will go to $0.20 in 5 minutes". You'd program the device to adjust your thermostat to different temperatures based on the impending utility rate, for example, "If the rate hits $0.20, raise to 80".

- Large industrial customers could get special, very low rates for having the power on only 22 hours a day, forgoing the peak demand times.