New businesses to help save the planet are popping up everyday.  As a result, your ability to do environmental good may be closer to your finger tips than you think.

Already there are pockets of households and businesses in North Carolina that are able to control their heaters and air conditioners online or from their smart phones.

They’re living on a Smart Grid – that’s becoming smarter and smarter every day.

James and Cynthia Wilson live in a six-thousand square foot, two-story brick home in Fayetteville – surrounded by sky-high pine trees.

There’s a swimming pool in the backyard. And there are solar panels on the roof – one of many signs the Wilson’s are leaning towards a more environmentally-friendly – energy efficient life-style.

James Wilson has handled all the new smart grid technology in the home since joining the Fayetteville pilot project organized by the city’s Public Works Commission. He looks at how they’re using electricity and programs things like when the hot water heater comes on and when the air conditioner kicks in. He said, “You take the input from one person and another person has to be responsible for keying it in.” Cynthia Wilson has some say, though. Cynthia said, “It’s kind of like you see signs on thermostats – do not adjust! So, he’s the one who does the adjustments unless I say no, turn it back on!”

Inside the Wilson home – they have a new thermostat.Temperature adjustments can be manipulated online – even turned off when no one is at home.

In this video - the fictitious Clark Family also lives in a two story home and is enjoying their new technology developed by Raleigh-based Consert.

Consert partnered with the Fayetteville Public Works Commission, I-B-M and Verizon Wireless to get the pilot program going.The program includes James and Cynthia Wilson and about 100 other households and small businesses.

Consert said regardless of the future mix of energy resources – there must be an intelligent and efficient power grid – a smart grid – that provides financial incentives for all players.That includes the customer and the power provider.

Jack Roberts is C-E-O of Consert.He said the pilot project in Fayetteville shows customers saved an average of 16-percent on their energy bills between September 2009 and January of this year. Roberts said, “It turns out consumers like the knowledge and control, they like saving money, they like to believe they’re part of the greenness that they are conserving.”

Consumers also want “smart” meters to be secure.Roberts said it is a serious issue – not because someone could hack the system to tamper with your electric usage – but because they could go up-stream into the electric grid.

Roberts said, “We have encryption at the IBM level, we have encryption at the Verizon level , we use a private network so that we’re using IP (internet protocol) addresses which are not available to the general public.We use multiple firewalls – we’ve given this more than a little thought.”

Consert is also working with North Carolina State University on its big FREEDOM PROJECT.That stands for Future Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM). The National Science Foundation recently awarded the project 18.5 million dollars.

Experts say smart grid technology like this has endless possibilities – including opening the door for “virtual” peak power plants – creating an alternative to the more costly construction of physical power plants.

But will your everyday North Carolinian jump on board – in a state that has not ranked particularly high in energy efficiency. Larry Clubine replied, "I remember when we were talking about this pilot program and I was like - sign me up! Anything to save money." Clubine added, "Love to help the environment but I'm about my wallet first."

Clubine has lived and worked in Fayetteville for nearly 30 years. He is part of the Consert pilot project and says he hopes it will continue.

The smart grid pilot project in Fayetteville is wrapping up.The Public Works Commission is conducting its own survey and is expected to decide soon if it will continue the project or not.

In the meantime – Consert says it will have secured ten pilot projects across the county by the end of the year.