The most relevant benefits of Smart Metering systems are
For Customers
- Consumers can be informed remotely (historical data) or locally (real-time data) on:
- Current energy costs and
- Related carbon emission data
- Energy consumption of household gas, electrical and water equipment can be displayed on the appliance or on displays
- Multi tariff functions can be added to allow demand response techniques
- Allowing electrical appliances to be automatically controlled or
- allowing the consumer to reduce costs by increasing energy consumption during off-peak cheaper tariff periods.
For Utilities
Smart Metering allows to
- gain first-class data
- influence the energy consumption of their users
- improve profitability of the technology once Smart Metering is also used for gas, water and heat readings.
In addition, utility companies will benefit from the following advantages:
- a reduction in ‘costs to serve’
- open gateways for the delivery of energy services
- assistance in the development of liberalised energy markets
- help for revenue protection
- monitoring of the generation from building renewables
- support in demand response techniques
- more effective grid management
- a new communication channel to customers.
For both the EU and the national governments
Smart Metering will
- prove to be THE tool to entice consumers to manage their consumption better and reduce usagelead the way to improved service levels through richer billing information
- be a key weapon in the fight on climate change
- help governments implement liberalisation of energy markets
- allow the full realisation of the Energy Services Directive
