5/17/2023 0 Comments Smart utilityLegacy meters only tell you the amount of consumption in a given period of time. This represents the potential “dark side” of using a smart grid. Like we used to see with cell phones, the utility company can now charge more for prime-time electricity use.įor some time now, government regulators have sought better ways to match consumption with generation. Chiefly, that involves the use of smart power meters to monitor energy use as a means to segregate power consumption into periods of time. There’s a potential negative side to smart power meters for consumers. Now, you might think the savings of all that labor would translate into instant reductions in energy costs, right? Smart grids are most certainly the future and integral to the survival of an admittedly outdated American electrical grid. Generally, we consider this a good thing. That means the utility (electric company) can purchase and allocate electricity more efficiently. One advantage for smart meters in and of themselves is that they can more easily integrate into a smart grid. While that’s likely good news for the electric company, it presents some not-so-good news for those legacy meter readers. It also puts a lot of those meter readers out of work. Networked meters save the company a trip to your home and keep employees off your property (and away from dogs, horses, and other animals that might present an issue for the meter reader). The digital readout is much easier for both consumers and Pros to read. In a nutshell, this means the utility company can read your meter remotely.Ĭompare that to old meters with their manual dials broken up into 5 clock-like faces that you had to manually read to get the current total kilowatt hours. Smart power meters allow and facilitate two-way (networked) communication between the meter and the central electrical system. Your electric company or utility provider likely already installed a smart electricity meter in your home or office. Final Thoughts on Smart Electricity Meters.Are Smart Electricity Meters Dangerous?.How Many Smart Meters are There in the United States?.Smart Electricity Meters Report Back to Power Companies.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |