Smart Metering, Measuring Electricity, Gas And Water

With the onset of tighter regulations and more focus on energy consumption by individuals

as well as by businesses, more and more people are using smart meters. Smart meters are electrical meters that record the amount of electric energy that is consumed within a given amount of time. This information is then communicated to a utility company in order for them to monitor and bill based off of usage. Because these meters allow for two way communication they are considered fairly technologically advanced. They can gather data and report it remotely. Though other meters are able to read electric energy levels automatically, they are not able to work through a two way channel.

Though smart meters are often referring to electricity meters, they can also be used to measure gas and water as well. Again, while other meters that had similar robust features have been in use for some time, smart meters offer the unique value of being able to track data in real time. This is particularly useful when it comes to power outages as well as in collecting data on power quality as well as usage. Though they are more robust, smart meters are generally less expensive than their predecessors and are meant for use commercially and on a residential level. They are widely used in Europe. By the end of 2008, over 39 million units were installed and over 17 million units were shipped in the first quarter of 2011.

While there is a general interest in smart meters, critics of smart meters believe that they offer no value to consumers. On the contrary, they believe that they may actually be harmful to people's health due to concerns over radiation that is emitted from the meters. In some cases, these concerns are so high that smart meters have been banned from particular areas of California.

If you are interested in installing a smart meter, you will have to check with your local jurisdiction as to the rules and regulations involving smart metering. Because there are questions surrounding smart meters they have not been fully adopted or embraced. However, many see their potential and are awaiting designs or iterations that will answer the growing concerns over their safety as well as their benefit for consumers themselves.

Though these units are primarily beneficial to utility companies in effectively measuring usage, there are still many questions surrounding how these meters can be made to provide beneficial information to the consumer as well. Some argue that this data could actually cause utility companies to create price hikes or to use the information adversely when it comes to the billing process.

With all these concerns in mind, smart meters do have their benefits as well as their shortcomings. However, a little bit of research and understanding can go a long way in deciding whether or not smart meters have potential for you in the way that you might intend on using them. Understanding the data and being able to analyse it is a good start in deciding where to go with smart metering.

by: Lawrence White

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