Idea for System to Conserve Energy

I have an idea in order to make consumers more energy-aware and to conserve more. We should adopt a pay-as-you-go methodology for energy.

For example. When you goto a buffet, you don't eat all the food you want, then have the restaurant decide how much food you have consumed then charge accordingly. Almost no system operate this way except for the energy system. So each month you use so much electricity, then get charged one sum at the end of the month.

I propose instead, that you pay as you go. For example, if you wake up in the morning and want to boil some water for tea, you should have to consciously pay 50 cents(just guessing) to do so. If you want to watch TV, you should have to pay the amount it costs for the electricity to run it for one hour. If we did this, people would more likely make smarter choices, since they are confronted with the consequence of their actions right away. Consumers tend to be more conservative in buying when they are forced to pay upfront, instead of in payments over time.

While I am not sure how easy it would be to implement this idea, I don't think it would be that difficult and it could lead to a future where we are more aware of just how much energy we use/waste.