Could a smart meter become an object of desire?

Not in their current form... I had a look for some images of smart meters... this one seems fairly typical. The problem with them as a tool for behavioural change is that they look like... well, meters. In order to be effective, they need to deliver real-time data on energy (and water and gas) consumption as and when it's needed, as well as analysis of usage patterns. So you would need something that could fit into your home. In short, something that looks nice. Potential here for product designers to take the humble utility meter and make it stylish and desirable. Like an iPod. And you'd also need some interface designers to take a look at the information interface and make it easy to use and appealing. The Design Council in the UK ran a very interesting project called RED-Future Currents in 2005 looking at this very issue and how energy monitoring could be integrated into the home. Worth a look.

I am also interested in how you might use objects and changes in shape or colour (or smell or sound or size!) as signals. There have been a few interesting concepts floating around about how to display information through objects, rather than information displays. This one from the Interactive Institute is called Flower Shade and shows a lightshade that opens and changes shape when energy usage has been low for some time.

This is nice because it offers a visual reward for low energy use and serves as a reminder of energy consumption. And it is also fun and beautiful.

The challenge with visual and other sensory cues is that there is the potential to be very annoying. Imagine sitting in your home surrounded by so-called smart devices beeping and flashing at you. The design would need to be very careful to include some way of asking permission for its actions as well as an off switch!