What is a smart meter?
What is a Smart Meter?
A smart meter is an electronic device that records information such as consumption of electric energy, voltage levels, current and power factor. Smart meters communicate the information to the consumer for greater clarity of consumption behaviour.
This enables Electricity suppliers grid monitoring and accurate customer billing. Enabling your energy supplier to monitor your electrical consumption in real time gives them greater clarity and more in depth data on your energy consumption meaning they will give you more precise tailored tariffs.
Smart meters come in different types and they are a part of the Governments plan to move to a smart grid to maximise energy efficiency and reduce the country's carbon footprint. A smart meter or SMETS meter comes in 2 variations,
- SMETS1 is a meter that comes installed with a Sim card synced to a 3G network ( because the 3G network is being discontinued these are no longer being manufactured so if you are getting a new smart meter it will be a SMETS2 type.
- SMETS2 work on a different communication type specific to the energy provider, via a data hub information is sent to the energy provider in real time. SMETS2 meters
How Do Smart Meters Work?
Smart meters are digital electricity meters that are able to measure how much electricity is used and when it is used. Smart meters then store and send this data over a wireless network to a central repository to allow for pricing plans like Time-of-Use. This makes reading the meter much more accurate meaning your tariff while be more suited to your consumption behaviour.
How will a smart meter benefit me?
Smart meters improve your awareness of energy consumption, meaning you may turn that TV off at the wall at night or limit the amount of times you switch the lights on an off. Giving you more insights into your consumption behaviour allows energy provider more accurate data on consumption in different seasons changing their tariff rates and giving you the consumer more insight into how your energy is being used and where you can make savings. By changing behavioural habits and informing decisions to buy more energy efficient appliances there is less pressure on the electricity grid. Smart Energy GB estimate a 24% decrease in emissions from homes and businesses by 2030.