Schaefer said electronics and appliance stores stand to benefit as students replace smart phones and calculators, and as more schools allow or even encourage students to bring laptop computers to the classroom.

FORBES: Back-to-school bonanza for private retailers?

Far better would be to have a smart meter in the home that told you how much electricity each appliance was using at that instant, and how much it was costing you.

ECONOMIST: The much-talked-of smart grid prepares to enter the home

The first step would be to integrate a smart fridge into the overall energy system as it is the first appliance opened by most users and real-time monitoring of beer temperature increases satisfaction with the energy environment for 78% of all customers.

ECONOMIST: News report