From hair dryers to hot tubs, residents in the Deerfield neighborhood are eager to learn just how much energy their household items use.

Well over 50 people came to Westar Energy’s open house at Deerfield School, 101 Lawrence Ave., on Tuesday night. Employees with the company’s SmartStar program were on hand to answer questions from those who live in the northwest Lawrence neighborhood that has been selected to be the first section of the city to receive smart meters. Another open house is scheduled for tonight.

“We are going to be able to start saving money earlier,” resident Gregory Rudnick said of being in the pilot neighborhood.

In particular, Rudnick is excited to find out how much electricity items that are always plugged in — such as the refrigerator, alarm clock and power strips — are using.

“There might be something in the house draining power and you don’t realize it,” Rudnick said.

Rudnick will be among the 1,500 Westar customers to receive the first round of smart meters in January. The Deerfield neighborhood is Westar’s pilot program for testing out new technology that will one day give customers an hour-by-hour account of their energy usage.

Diane and Alan Sanders are excited to be SmartStar’s guinea pig. They hope that by being able to better track their energy usage, they will waste less.

“To be able to visualize that on a computer screen will be helpful,” Alan Sanders said.

“We’ll see if we have to give up the hot tub,” Diane Sanders added.

Other residents at Tuesday’s open house were more cautious in their enthusiasm for the project.

“I’m a bit hesitant,” Laura Ross said. “But I can see a positive outcome for it as long as my energy usage doesn’t spike up more than what it is at the moment.”

Ross is particularly concerned about new pricing strategies that would offer different rates of electricity based upon the peak hours of usage. For example, it would cost more to run a dishwasher in the middle of a hot summer afternoon than it would at midnight.

Westar has said that pilot programs offering different pricing strategies would be voluntary.

The entire $39 million program, half of which is funded through a federal grant, will install 45,000 smart meters throughout Lawrence. Westar plans to install the rest of the smart meters in May.

Lynn Shultz was concerned about the prospect of Westar being able to control her energy usage. So she asked the question.

“They said no,” she said.

Jennifer Owens didn’t have any concerns about a breech in privacy through smart meters.

“If you go through my trash, you’ll find out more about me,” Owens said.

Besides, she can’t wait to find out how much electricity it takes to operate her hair dryer.

“I heard it actually uses a lot,” she said.