There's been talk of, and experimentation with, Net-connected appliances for years. But here's one idea that could save you money and help you use energy resources more wisely. As part of the GridWise Initiative, led by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 200 consumers in Washington and Oregon are connecting their clothes dryers, water heaters, and thermostats to the Internet to control when they run. If utility prices are high or if there's huge demand being placed on the grid, your dryer can turn itself off.

Just click on the play button below to hear more about this in my Technocreep blog.

What could you do with a 15% savings on your utility bill? For me, it could pay for a tank of gas, or a trip to my favorite sushi restaurant, or 12 boxes of Girl Scout cookies.

Want to learn more about the GridWise Initiative? Read Keyla Kirton's story on InformationWeek.com.