Yep, the industry term for this stuff is "Demand Response", and there's already companies doing this. If you're in California, there's a company called ohmconn

Yep, the industry term for this stuff is "Demand Response", and there's already companies doing this. If you're in California, there's a company called ohmconnect.com. You can hook up your Nest thermostat and smart plugs connected to your lights, fridge, etc. They let you know once or twice a week of peak pricing hours... if you can reduce your consumption during those hours, they credit you. They use your smart meter to verify participation.