Smart meter: Difference between revisions

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*User Freedom: Many of electric, water, and gas distribution companies are asking or requiring customers to switch to smart meters. In some cases customers can opt out if they pay a monthly fee and in rare cases companies will allow customers to opt out for free. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Smart electricity meters being imposed against will of consumers |date= July 19, 2025 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/smart-electricity-meters-being-imposed-against-will-of-consumers-patwari/articleshow/122771583.cms |url-status=live |access-date= September 27, 2025 |website=Times of India}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |title=Smart Meter Opt Out - Eversource |date= September 9, 2025|url=https://www.eversource.com/residential/account-billing/smart-meters/smart-meter-opt-out |url-status=live |access-date= September 27, 2025|website=Eversource}}</ref>

*User Privacy: Most smart meters use third parties to collect, process, and store data without the customers knowledge. This data can be used to infer patterns in electricity, identify when users are home, identify what appliances they are using<ref>{{Citation|last=Quinn |first=Elias L. |date=Spring 2009 |title=A REPORT FOR THE COLORADO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION |url=https://www.culawschool.org/tlpc/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ELias-PUC-09I-EG593-Framing-Paper-Elias-Quinn.pdf|pages=iv}}</ref>, etc.

*Business Model: Utility companies typically do not disclose to their customers what is happening with the data from the smart meter, tell customers what brand smart meter is being installed, or inform customers of the third party smart meter companies' privacy policy. There is also something to be said for removing unskilled labor positions from the job market (~~ie:~~ meter readers) and paying a third party smart meter company instead.

*Business Model: Utility companies typically do not disclose to their customers what is happening with the data from the smart meter, tell customers what brand smart meter is being installed, or inform customers of the third party smart meter companies' privacy policy. There is also something to be said for removing unskilled labor positions from the job market (i.e., meter readers) and paying a third party smart meter company instead.

*Possible Security Issues: remote manipulation.

*Demand pricing: Utilities can change the price of electricity over a day or week, for instance raising it when demand is high or supply is low. It is often difficult for consumers to shift major usage to off peak times, so many consumers wind up paying more with demand pricing.

*Accuracy issues:

*Cost and longevity: Smart meters are more expensive than traditional meters, they are also harder to recycle (having many more types of material in them). For example, a traditional electric meter can run for 70 years. It is hard to build smart meters that will not become obsolete much sooner than that. (For instance, encryption becomes vulnerable.)

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 *User Freedom: Many of electric, water, and gas distribution companies are asking or requiring customers to switch to smart meters. In some cases customers can opt out if they pay a monthly fee and in rare cases companies will allow customers to opt out for free. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Smart electricity meters being imposed against will of consumers |date= July 19, 2025 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/smart-electricity-meters-being-imposed-against-will-of-consumers-patwari/articleshow/122771583.cms |url-status=live |access-date= September 27, 2025 |website=Times of India}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |title=Smart Meter Opt Out - Eversource |date= September 9, 2025|url=https://www.eversource.com/residential/account-billing/smart-meters/smart-meter-opt-out |url-status=live |access-date= September 27, 2025|website=Eversource}}</ref>
 *User Privacy: Most smart meters use third parties to collect, process, and store data without the customers knowledge. This data can be used to infer patterns in electricity, identify when users are home, identify what appliances they are using<ref>{{Citation|last=Quinn |first=Elias L. |date=Spring 2009 |title=A REPORT FOR THE COLORADO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION |url=https://www.culawschool.org/tlpc/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ELias-PUC-09I-EG593-Framing-Paper-Elias-Quinn.pdf|pages=iv}}</ref>, etc.
-*Business Model: Utility companies typically do not disclose to their customers what is happening with the data from the smart meter, tell customers what brand smart meter is being installed, or inform customers of the third party smart meter companies' privacy policy. There is also something to be said for removing unskilled labor positions from the job market (ie: meter readers) and paying a third party smart meter company instead.
+*Business Model: Utility companies typically do not disclose to their customers what is happening with the data from the smart meter, tell customers what brand smart meter is being installed, or inform customers of the third party smart meter companies' privacy policy. There is also something to be said for removing unskilled labor positions from the job market (i.e., meter readers) and paying a third party smart meter company instead.
 *Possible Security Issues: remote manipulation.
+*Demand pricing: Utilities can change the price of electricity over a day or week, for instance raising it when demand is high or supply is low.  It is often difficult for consumers to shift major usage to off peak times, so many consumers wind up paying more with demand pricing.
+*Accuracy issues:
+*Cost and longevity: Smart meters are more expensive than traditional meters, they are also harder to recycle (having many more types of material in them).  For example, a traditional electric meter can run for 70 years.  It is hard to build smart meters that will not become obsolete much sooner than that.  (For instance, encryption becomes vulnerable.)
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