Most people can admit they use their water and electricity very carelessly. Long showers, leaving the light on, etc. Why do people do this? It surely isn’t because they hate the environment but because it is so easy and cheap to do so. A kilowatt hour costs $0.15. A gallon of water in the US is less than a penny. At this rate, people can use as much energy and water without much retribution. But what if they had a limit?
Data plans that not unlimited provide a set amount of data a customer can use in a given month. This is an ingenious system. The customer is able to tailor their plan to their usage/financial situation and the wireless service provider can reduce the toll of usage on their network systems. A similar approach could be used for water and energy. Plans that offer a set number of gallons and kilowatt hours per month could help reduce usage by the general population. Overage fees could help curb wasteful behavior and reduce overall consumption in the country.
