
A smart meter is an
electronic device that records information—such as consumption of
electric energy
Electrical energy is the energy transferred as electric charges move between points with different electric potential, that is, as they move across a potential difference. As electric potential is lost or gained, work is done changing the energy o ...
, voltage levels, current, and power factor—and
communicates the information to the consumer and
electricity suppliers. Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) differs from
automatic meter reading
Automatic meter reading (AMR) is the technology of automatically collecting consumption, diagnostic, and status data from water meter or energy metering devices (gas, electric) and transferring that data to a central database for billing, trouble ...
(AMR) in that it enables two-way communication between the meter and the supplier.
Description
The term ''smart meter'' often refers to an
electricity meter
file:Hydro quebec meter.JPG, North American domestic analog signal, analog (Galileo Ferraris, Ferraris disk) electricity meter.
file:Transparent Electricity Meter found in Israel.JPG, Electricity meter with transparent plastic case (Israel)
fil ...
, but it also may mean a device measuring
natural gas
Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
,
water
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
or
district heating
District heating (also known as heat networks) is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location through a system of insulated pipes for residential and commercial heating requirements such as space heater, space heating and w ...
consumption. More generally, a smart meter is an
electronic device that records information such as consumption of
electric energy
Electrical energy is the energy transferred as electric charges move between points with different electric potential, that is, as they move across a potential difference. As electric potential is lost or gained, work is done changing the energy o ...
, voltage levels, current, and power factor. Smart meters
communicate the information to the consumer for greater clarity of consumption behavior, and
electricity suppliers for system monitoring and customer billing. Smart meters typically record energy near real-time, and report regularly, in short intervals throughout the day. Smart meters enable two-way communication between the meter and the central system. Smart meters may be part of a ''
smart grid
The smart grid is an enhancement of the 20th century electrical grid, using two-way communications and distributed so-called intelligent devices. Two-way flows of electricity and information could improve the delivery network. Research is main ...
'', but do not themselves constitute a smart grid.
AMI differs from AMR in that it enables two-way communication between the meter and the supplier. Communications from the meter to the network may be wireless, or via fixed wired connections such as
power-line communication
Power-line communication (PLC) is the carrying of data on a conductor (the ''power-line carrier'') that is also used simultaneously for AC electric power transmission or electric power distribution to consumers.
A wide range of power-line comm ...
(PLC). Wireless communication options in common use include cellular communications, Wi-Fi (readily available),
wireless ad hoc network
A wireless ad hoc network (WANET) or mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a decentralized type of wireless network. The network is ad hoc because it does not rely on a pre-existing infrastructure, such as routers or wireless access points. Instead, ...
s over Wi-Fi,
wireless mesh network
A wireless mesh network (WMN) is a communications network made up of radio nodes organized in a mesh topology. It can also be a form of wireless ad hoc network. Chai Keong Toh Ad Hoc Mobile Wireless Networks, Prentice Hall Publishers, 2002.
...
s,
low power long-range wireless (LoRa),
Wize
WIZE (1340 AM broadcasting, AM) — branded Dayton's BIN 1340 — is a commercial All-news radio, all-news radio station in Springfield, Ohio owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. as part of their Dayton, Ohio, Dayton cluster. While servicing the Dayton m ...
(high radio penetration rate, open, using the frequency 169 MHz)
Zigbee
Zigbee is an IEEE 802.15.4-based specification for a suite of high-level communication protocols used to create personal area networks with small, low-power digital radios, such as for home automation, medical device data collection, and oth ...
(low power, low data rate wireless), and Wi-SUN (Smart Utility Networks).
Similar meters, usually referred to as
interval or time-of-use meters, have existed for years, but smart meters usually involve real-time or near real-time sensors,
power outage
A power outage, also called a blackout, a power failure, a power blackout, a power loss, a power cut, or a power out is the complete loss of the electrical power network supply to an end user.
There are many causes of power failures in an el ...
notification, and power quality monitoring. These additional features are more than simple AMR. They are similar in many respects to AMI meters. Interval and time-of-use meters historically have been installed to measure commercial and industrial customers, but may not have automatic reading. Research by the UK consumer group ''Which?'', showed that as many as one in three confuse smart meters with
energy monitors, also known as in-home display monitors.
History
In 1972,
Theodore Paraskevakos, while working with
Boeing
The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
in
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...
, developed a sensor monitoring system that used digital transmission for security, fire, and medical alarm systems as well as meter reading capabilities. This technology was a spin-off from the automatic telephone line identification system, now known as
Caller ID
Caller identification (Caller ID) is a telephone service, available in analog and digital telephone systems, including voice over IP (VoIP), that transmits a caller's telephone number to the called party's telephone equipment when the call is ...
.
In 1974, Paraskevakos was awarded a U.S. patent for this technology. In 1977, he launched Metretek, Inc., which developed and produced the first smart meters. Since this system was developed pre-Internet, Metretek utilized the IBM series 1 mini-computer. For this approach, Paraskevakos and Metretek were awarded multiple patents.
The installed base of smart meters in Europe at the end of 2008 was about 39 million units, according to analyst firm Berg Insight. Globally, Pike Research found that smart meter shipments were 17.4 million units for the first quarter of 2011. Visiongain determined that the value of the global smart meter market would reach
US$
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
7 billion in 2012.
H.M. Zahid Iqbal, M. Waseem, and Dr. Tahir Mahmood, researchers of University of Engineering & Technology Taxila, Pakistan, introduced the concept of Smart Energy Meters in 2013. Their article, "Automatic Energy Meter Reading using Smart Energy Meter" outlined the key features of Smart Energy Meter including Automatic remote meter reading via GSM for utility companies and customers, Real-time monitoring of a customer's running load, Remote disconnection and reconnection of customer connections by the utility company and Convenient billing, eliminating the need of meter readers to physically visit the customers for billing.
over 99 million electricity meters were deployed across the European Union, with an estimated 24 million more to be installed by the end of 2020. The European Commission
DG Energy estimates the 2020 installed base to have required €18.8 billion in investment, growing to €40.7 billion by 2030, with a total deployment of 266 million smart meters.
By the end of 2018, the U.S. had over 86 million smart meters installed. In 2017, there were 665 million smart meters installed globally. Revenue generation is expected to grow from $12.8 billion in 2017 to $20 billion by 2022.
Purpose
Since the inception of electricity
deregulation
Deregulation is the process of removing or reducing state regulations, typically in the economic sphere. It is the repeal of governmental regulation of the economy. It became common in advanced industrial economies in the 1970s and 1980s, as a ...
and market-driven pricing throughout the world, utilities have been looking for a means to match consumption with generation. Non-smart electrical and gas meters only measure total consumption, providing no information of when the energy was consumed. Smart meters provide a way of measuring electricity consumption in near real-time. This allows utility companies to charge different prices for consumption according to the time of day and the season.
[James Sinopoli (ed), ''Smart Building Systems for Architects, Owners, and Builders'' Elsevier 2010 PP. 65-65] It also facilitates more accurate cash-flow models for utilities. Since smart meters can be read remotely, labor costs are reduced for utilities.
Smart metering offers potential benefits to customers. These include, a) an end to estimated bills, which are a major source of complaints for many customers b) a tool to help consumers better manage their energy purchases—smart meters with a display outside their homes could provide up-to-date information on gas and electricity consumption and in doing so help people to manage their energy use and reduce their energy bills. With regards to consumption reduction, this is critical for understanding the benefits of smart meters because the relatively small percentage benefits in terms of savings are multiplied by millions of users. Smart meters for water consumption can also provide detailed and timely information about customer water use and early notification of possible water leaks in their premises.
[Salomons, E., Sela, L., Housh, M. Hedging for privacy in smart water meters. Water Resources Research; 2020;56(9)] Electricity pricing usually peaks at certain predictable times of the day and the season. In particular, if generation is constrained, prices can rise if power from other jurisdictions or more costly generation is brought online. Proponents assert that billing customers at a higher rate for peak times encourages consumers to adjust their consumption habits to be more responsive to market prices and assert further, that regulatory and market design agencies hope these "
price signal
A price signal is information conveyed to consumers and producers, via the prices offered or requested for, and the amount requested or offered of a product or service, which provides a signal to increase or decrease quantity supplied or quantit ...
s" could delay the construction of additional generation or at least the purchase of energy from higher-priced sources, thereby controlling the steady and rapid increase of electricity prices.
An academic study based on existing trials showed that homeowners' electricity consumption on average is reduced by approximately 3-5% when provided with real-time feedback.
Another advantage of smart meters that benefits both customers and the utility is the monitoring capability they provide for the whole electrical system. As part of an AMI, utilities can use the real-time data from smart meters measurements related to current, voltage, and power factor to detect system disruptions more quickly, allowing immediate corrective action to minimize customer impact such as blackouts. Smart meters also help utilities understand the power grid needs with more granularity than legacy meters. This greater understanding facilitates system planning to meet customer energy needs while reducing the likelihood of additional infrastructure investments, which eliminates unnecessary spending or energy cost increases.
Though the task of meeting national electricity demand with accurate supply is becoming ever more challenging as intermittent renewable generation sources make up a greater proportion of the energy mix, the real-time data provided by smart meters allow grid operators to integrate renewable energy onto the grid in order to balance the networks. As a result, smart meters are considered an essential technology to the decarbonisation of the energy system.
Advanced metering infrastructure
Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) refers to systems that measure, collect, and analyze energy usage, and communicate with metering devices such as electricity meters, gas meters, heat meters, and water meters, either on request or on a schedule. These systems include hardware, software, communications, consumer energy displays and controllers, customer associated systems,
meter data management software, and supplier business systems.
Government agencies and utilities are turning toward advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems as part of larger "smart grid" initiatives. AMI extends automatic meter reading (AMR) technology by providing two-way meter communications, allowing commands to be sent toward the home for multiple purposes, including
time-based pricing
Dynamic pricing, also referred to as surge pricing, demand pricing, or time-based pricing, and variable pricing, is a revenue management pricing strategy in which businesses set flexible prices for products or services based on current market d ...
information,
demand-response actions, or remote service disconnects. Wireless technologies are critical elements of the neighborhood network, aggregating a mesh configuration of up to thousands of meters for back haul to the utility's IT headquarters.
The network between the measurement devices and business systems allows the collection and distribution of information to customers, suppliers,
utility companies
A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and r ...
, and service providers. This enables these businesses to participate in demand response services. Consumers can use the information provided by the system to change their normal consumption patterns to take advantage of lower prices. Pricing can be used to curb the growth of
peak demand consumption. AMI differs from traditional
automatic meter reading
Automatic meter reading (AMR) is the technology of automatically collecting consumption, diagnostic, and status data from water meter or energy metering devices (gas, electric) and transferring that data to a central database for billing, trouble ...
(AMR) in that it enables two-way communications with the meter. Systems only capable of meter readings do not qualify as AMI systems.

AMI implementation relies on four key components: Physical Layer Connectivity, which establishes connections between smart meters and networks, Communication Protocols to ensure secure and efficient data transmission, Server Infrastructure, which consists of centralized or distributed servers to store, process, and manage data for billing, monitoring, and demand response; and Data Analysis, where analytical tools provide insights, load forecasting, and anomaly detection for optimized energy management. Together, these components help utilities and consumers monitor and manage energy use efficiently, supporting smarter grid management.
Physical Layer Connectivity
Communication is a cornerstone of smart meter technology, enabling reliable and secure data transmission to central systems. However, the diversity of environments in which smart meters operate presents significant challenges. Solutions to these challenges encompass a range of communication methods
including
Power-line communication
Power-line communication (PLC) is the carrying of data on a conductor (the ''power-line carrier'') that is also used simultaneously for AC electric power transmission or electric power distribution to consumers.
A wide range of power-line comm ...
(PLC),
Cellular network
A cellular network or mobile network is a telecommunications network where the link to and from end nodes is wireless network, wireless and the network is distributed over land areas called ''cells'', each served by at least one fixed-locatio ...
,
Wireless mesh network
A wireless mesh network (WMN) is a communications network made up of radio nodes organized in a mesh topology. It can also be a form of wireless ad hoc network. Chai Keong Toh Ad Hoc Mobile Wireless Networks, Prentice Hall Publishers, 2002.
...
,
Short-range,
and
satellite
A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...
:
* Power-line communication for Smart Metering
:
Power Line Communication
Power-line communication (PLC) is the carrying of data on a conductor (the ''power-line carrier'') that is also used simultaneously for AC electric power transmission or electric power distribution to consumers.
A wide range of power-line comm ...
(PLC) stands out among smart metering connectivity technologies because it leverages existing electrical power infrastructure for data transmission. Unlike cellular, radio-frequency (RF), or Wi-Fi-based solutions, PLC does not require building or maintaining separate communication networks, making it inherently more cost-effective and easier to scale. Two major PLC standards in smart metering are G3-PLC and the
PRIME Alliance protocol.
G3-PLC supports IPv6-based communications and adaptive data rates, providing robust performance even in noisy environments, while PRIME (PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution) focuses on efficient, high-speed communication with low-cost implementation. PLC-based smart metering is deployed extensively in regions like Europe, South America, and parts of Asia where dense infrastructure supports its use. Utilities favor PLC for its reliability in urban environments and for connecting large numbers of meters within smart grid networks.
:An important feature of G3-PLC and PRIME is their ability to enable mesh networking (also called multi-hop), where smart meters act as repeaters for other meters in the network. This functionality allows meters to relay data from neighboring meters to ensure that the information reaches the Data Concentrator Unit (DCU), even if direct communication is not possible due to distance or signal obstructions. This approach enhances network reliability and coverage, particularly in dense urban environments or geographically challenging areas.
* Cellular Network (
GPRS
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), also called 2.5G, is a mobile data standard on the 2G cellular communication network's Global System for Mobile Communications, global system for mobile communications (GSM). Networks and mobile devices wit ...
,
NB-IoT,
LTE-M): "Cellular technologies are highly scalable and secure. With national coverage, cellular connectivity can support a large number of meters in densely populated areas as well as reach those in remote locations."
* Wireless mesh network (e.g. Wirepas and Wi-Sun): Ideal for urban areas, where devices can relay data to optimize coverage and reliability. It is mostly used for
Water Meter
Water metering is the practice of measuring water use. Water meters measure the volume of water used by residential and commercial building units that are supplied with water by a public water supply system. They are also used to determine Flui ...
and
Gas Meter
A gas meter is a specialized flow meter, used to measure the volume of fuel gases such as natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas. Gas meters are used at residential, commercial, and industrial buildings that consume fuel gas supplied by a g ...
* Short-range: such as Wireless M-Bus (WMBUS) are commonly used in smart metering applications to enable reliable, low-power communication between utility meters and local data collectors within buildings or neighborhoods.
* Hybrid PLC/RF PRIME and G3-PLC standards defines an integrated approach for seamless integration of PLC and wireless communication, enhancing reliability and flexibility in smart grids.
Additional options, such as Wi-Fi and internet-based networks, are also in use. However, no single communication solution is universally optimal. The challenges faced by rural utilities differ significantly from those of urban counterparts or utilities in remote, mountainous, or poorly serviced areas.
Smart meters often extend their functionality through integration into Home Area Networks (HANs). These networks enable communication within the household and may include:
* In-Premises Displays: Providing real-time energy usage insights for consumers.
* Hubs: Interfacing multiple meters with the central head-end system.
Technologies used in HANs vary globally but typically include PLC, wireless ad hoc networks, and Zigbee. By leveraging appropriate connectivity solutions, smart meters can address diverse environmental and infrastructural needs while delivering seamless communication and enhanced functionality.
Smart meters used as a gateway for water and gas meters
Electricity smart meters start to be utilized as gateways for gas and water meters, creating integrated smart metering systems. In this configuration, gas and water meters communicate with the electricity meter using Wireless M-Bus (Wireless Meter-Bus), a European standard (EN 13757-4) designed for secure and efficient data transmission between utility meters and data collectors. The electricity meter then aggregates this data and transmits it to the central utility network via Power Line Communication (PLC), which leverages existing electrical wiring for data transfer.
Communication Protocols
Smart meter communication protocols are essential for enabling reliable, efficient, and secure data exchange between meters, utilities, and other components of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). These protocols address the diverse requirements of global markets, supporting various communication methods, from optical ports and serial connections to power line communication (PLC) and wireless networks. Below is an overview of key protocols, including ANSI standards widely used in North America, IEC protocols prevalent in Europe, the globally recognized OSGP for smart grid applications, and the PLC-focused Meters and More, each designed to meet specific needs in energy monitoring and management.

*
IEC 62056
"
IEC 62056 is the most widely adopted protocol"
for smart meter communication, enabling reliable, two-way data exchange within Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems. It encompasses the DLMS/COSEM protocol for structuring and managing metering data. "It is widely used because of its flexibility, scalability, and ability to support different communication media such as Power Line Communication (PLC), TCP/IP, and wireless networks.".
[ It also supports data transmission over serial connections using ASCII or binary formats, with physical media options such as modulated light (via LED and photodiode) or wired connections (typically EIA-485).
* ANSI C12.18
ANSI C12.18 is an ]ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI ) is a private nonprofit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organiz ...
Standard that describes a protocol used for two-way communications with a meter, mostly used in North American markets. The C12.18 Standard is written specifically for meter communications via an ANSI Type 2 Optical Port, and specifies lower-level protocol details. ANSI C12.19 specifies the data tables that are used. ANSI C12.21 is an extension of C12.18 written for modem instead of optical communications, so it is better suited to automatic meter reading
Automatic meter reading (AMR) is the technology of automatically collecting consumption, diagnostic, and status data from water meter or energy metering devices (gas, electric) and transferring that data to a central database for billing, trouble ...
. ANSI C12.22 is the communication protocol for remote communications.
* OSGP
The Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) is a family of specifications published by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) is an independent, not-for-profit, standardization organization operating in the field of information and communications. ETSI supports the development and testing of global technical ...
(ETSI) used in conjunction with the ISO/IEC 14908 control networking standard for smart metering and smart grid applications. Millions of smart meters based on OSGP are deployed worldwide. On July 15, 2015, the OSGP Alliance announced the release of a new security protocol (OSGP-AES-128-PSK) and its availability from OSGP vendors. This deprecated the original OSGP-RC4-PSK security protocol which had been identified to be vulnerable.
* Meters and More
"Meters and More was created in 2010 from the coordinated work between Enel and Endesa to adopt, maintain and evolve the field-proven Meters and More open communication protocol for smart grid solutions." . In 2010, the Meters and More Association was established to promote the protocol globally, ensuring interoperability and efficiency in power line communication (PLC)-based smart metering systems. Meters and More is an open communication protocol designed for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). It facilitates reliable, high-speed data exchange over PLC networks, focusing on energy monitoring, demand response, and secure two-way communication between utilities and consumers.
Unlike DLMS/COSEM, which is a globally standardized and versatile protocol supporting multiple utilities (electricity, gas, and water), Meters and More is tailored specifically for PLC-based systems, emphasizing efficiency, reliability, and ease of deployment in electricity metering.
There is a growing trend toward the use of TCP/IP
The Internet protocol suite, commonly known as TCP/IP, is a framework for organizing the communication protocols used in the Internet and similar computer networks according to functional criteria. The foundational protocols in the suite are ...
technology as a common communication platform for Smart Meter applications, so that utilities can deploy multiple communication systems, while using IP technology as a common management platform. A universal metering interface would allow for development and mass production of smart meters and smart grid devices prior to the communication standards being set, and then for the relevant communication modules to be easily added or switched when they are. This would lower the risk of investing in the wrong standard as well as permit a single product to be used globally even if regional communication standards vary.
Server Infrastructure for Smart Meter AMI
In Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), the server infrastructure is crucial for managing, storing, and processing the large volumes of data generated by smart meters. This infrastructure ensures seamless communication between smart meters, utility providers, and end-users, supporting real-time monitoring, billing, and grid management.
Key Components of AMI Server Infrastructure
:Data Concentrator
::A Data Concentrator Unit (DCU) aggregates data from multiple smart meters within a localized area (e.g., a neighborhood or building) before transmitting it to the central server. Data concentrators reduce the communication load on the network and help overcome connectivity challenges by acting as intermediaries between smart meters and the head-end system (HES). They typically support communication protocols like IEC 62056, DLMS/COSEM
:Head-End System (HES)
::The HES is responsible for collecting, validating, and managing data received from data concentrators and smart meters. It serves as the central communication hub, facilitating two-way communication between the smart meters and the utility's central servers. The HES supports meter configuration, firmware updates, and real-time data retrieval, ensuring data integrity and security.
:Meter Data Management System ( MDMS)
:: The MDMS is a specialized software platform that stores and processes large volumes of meter data collected by the HES. Key functions of the MDMS include data validation, estimation, and editing, as well as billing preparation, load analysis, and anomaly detection. The MDMS integrates with other utility systems, such as billing, customer relationship management ( CRM), and demand response systems, to enable efficient energy management.[Hive Power, "Understanding Meter Management Systems"](_blank)
/ref>
Data Analytics
Data analytics
Analytics is the systematic computational analysis of data or statistics. It is used for the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data, which also falls under and directly relates to the umbrella term, data sci ...
for smart meters leverages machine learning
Machine learning (ML) is a field of study in artificial intelligence concerned with the development and study of Computational statistics, statistical algorithms that can learn from data and generalise to unseen data, and thus perform Task ( ...
to extract insights from energy consumption
Energy consumption is the amount of energy used.
Biology
In the body, energy consumption is part of energy homeostasis. It derived from food energy. Energy consumption in the body is a product of the basal metabolic rate and the physical acti ...
data. Key applications include demand forecasting, dynamic pricing, Energy Disaggregation, and fault detection, enabling optimized grid performance and personalized energy management
Energy management includes planning and operation of energy production and energy consumption units as well as energy distribution and storage. Energy management is performed via Energy Management Systems (EMS), which are designed with hardware ...
. These techniques drive efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability in modern energy systems.
" Energy Disaggregation, or the breakdown of your energy use based on specific appliances or devices", is an exploratory technique for analyzing energy consumption in households, commercial buildings, and industrial settings. By using data from a single energy meter, it employs algorithms and machine learning to estimate individual appliance usage without separate monitors. Known as Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM), this emerging method offers insights into energy efficiency, helping users optimize usage and reduce costs. While promising, energy disaggregation is still being refined for accuracy and scalability as part of smart energy management innovations.
Data management
The other critical technology for smart meter systems is the information technology at the utility that integrates the Smart Meter networks with utility applications, such as billing and CIS. This includes the Meter Data Management system.
It also is essential for smart grid implementations that power line communication
Power-line communication (PLC) is the carrying of data on a conductor (the ''power-line carrier'') that is also used simultaneously for AC electric power transmission or electric power distribution to consumers.
A wide range of power-line comm ...
(PLC) technologies used within the home over a Home Area Network (HAN), are standardized and compatible. The HAN allows HVAC systems and other household appliances to communicate with the smart meter, and from there to the utility. Currently there are several broadband or narrowband standards in place, or being developed, that are not yet compatible. To address this issue, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical s ...
) established the PAP15 group, which studies and recommends coexistence mechanisms with a focus on the harmonization of PLC Standards for the HAN. The objective of the group is to ensure that all PLC technologies selected for the HAN coexist as a minimum. The two leading broadband PLC technologies selected are the HomePlug AV
HomePlug is the family name for various power line communications specifications under the HomePlug designation, each with unique capabilities and compatibility with other HomePlug specifications.
Some HomePlug specifications target broadband ap ...
/ IEEE 1901 and ITU-T G.hn
Gigabit Home Networking (G.hn) is a specification for wired home networking that supports speeds up to 2 Gbit/s and operates over four types of legacy wires: telephone wiring, Coaxial cable, coaxial cables, Power line, power lines and pla ...
technologies. Technical working groups within these organizations are working to develop appropriate coexistence mechanisms. The HomePlug Powerline Alliance
HomePlug is the family name for various power line communications specifications under the HomePlug designation, each with unique capabilities and compatibility with other HomePlug specifications.
Some HomePlug specifications target broadband ap ...
has developed a new standard for smart grid HAN communications called the HomePlug Green PHY specification. It is interoperable and coexistent with the widely deployed HomePlug AV
HomePlug is the family name for various power line communications specifications under the HomePlug designation, each with unique capabilities and compatibility with other HomePlug specifications.
Some HomePlug specifications target broadband ap ...
technology and with the latest IEEE 1901 global Standard and is based on Broadband OFDM
In telecommunications, orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is a type of digital transmission used in digital modulation for encoding digital (binary) data on multiple carrier frequencies. OFDM has developed into a popular scheme for ...
technology. ITU-T commissioned in 2010 a new project called G.hnem, to address the home networking aspects of energy management, built upon existing Low Frequency Narrowband OFDM technologies.
Opposition and concerns
Some groups have expressed concerns regarding the cost, health, fire risk,[BC Hydro offers free fix if meter installers find hazard]
2012-08-09. CBC. Retrieved 2012-08-09. security
Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercion). Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be persons and social groups, objects and institutions, ecosystems, or any other entity or ...
and privacy
Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively.
The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of a ...
effects of smart meters and the remote controllable "kill switch
A kill switch, also known more formally as an emergency brake, emergency stop (E-stop), emergency off (EMO), or emergency power off (EPO), is a safety mechanism used to shut off machinery in an emergency, when it cannot be shut down in the usu ...
" that is included with most of them. Many of these concerns regard wireless-only smart meters with no home energy monitoring or control or safety features. Metering-only solutions, while popular with utilities because they fit existing business models and have cheap up-front capital costs, often result in such "backlash". Often the entire smart grid
The smart grid is an enhancement of the 20th century electrical grid, using two-way communications and distributed so-called intelligent devices. Two-way flows of electricity and information could improve the delivery network. Research is main ...
and smart building concept is discredited in part by confusion about the difference between home control and home area network technology and AMI. The (now former) attorney general of Connecticut has stated that he does not believe smart meters provide any financial benefit to consumers, however, the cost of the installation of the new system is absorbed by those customers.
Security
Smart meters expose the power grid to cyberattack
A cyberattack (or cyber attack) occurs when there is an unauthorized action against computer infrastructure that compromises the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of its content.
The rising dependence on increasingly complex and inte ...
s that could lead to power outage
A power outage, also called a blackout, a power failure, a power blackout, a power loss, a power cut, or a power out is the complete loss of the electrical power network supply to an end user.
There are many causes of power failures in an el ...
s, both by cutting off people's electricity and by overloading the grid. However many cyber security experts state that smart meters of UK and Germany have relatively high cybersecurity and that any such attack there would thus require extraordinarily high efforts or financial resources. The EU Cyber security Act took effect in June 2019, which includes Directive on Security Network and Information Systems establishing notification and security requirements for operators of essential services.
Through the Smartgrid Cybersecurity Committee, the U.S. Department of Energy published cybersecurity guidelines for grid operators in 2010 and updated them in 2014. The guidelines "...present an analytical framework that organizations can use to develop effective cybersecurity strategies..."
Implementing security protocols that protect these devices from malicious attacks has been problematic, due to their limited computational resources and long operational life.
The current version of IEC 62056 includes the possibility to encrypt, authenticate
Authentication (from ''authentikos'', "real, genuine", from αὐθέντης ''authentes'', "author") is the act of proving an assertion, such as the identity of a computer system user. In contrast with identification, the act of indicating ...
, or sign
A sign is an object, quality, event, or entity whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else. A natural sign bears a causal relation to its object—for instance, thunder is a sign of storm, or me ...
the meter data.
One proposed smart meter data verification method involves analyzing the network traffic in real-time to detect anomalies using an Intrusion Detection System
An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a device or software application that monitors a network or systems for malicious activity or policy violations. Any intrusion activity or violation is typically either reported to an administrator or collec ...
(IDS). By identifying exploits as they are being leveraged by attackers, an IDS mitigates the suppliers' risks of energy theft by consumers and denial-of-service attacks by hackers. Energy utilities must choose between a centralized IDS, embedded IDS, or dedicated IDS depending on the individual needs of the utility. Researchers have found that for a typical advanced metering infrastructure, the centralized IDS architecture is superior in terms of cost efficiency and security gains.
In the United Kingdom, the Data Communication Company, which transports the commands from the supplier to the smart meter, performs an additional anomaly check on commands issued (and signed) by the energy supplier.
As Smart Meter devices are Intelligent Measurement Devices which periodically record the measured values and send the data encrypted to the Service Provider, therefore in Switzerland these devices need to be evaluated by an evaluation Laboratory, and need to be certified by METAS from 01.01.2020 according to Prüfmethodologie (Test Methodology for Execution of Data Security Evaluation of Swiss Smart Metering Components).
According to a report published by Brian Krebs
Brian Krebs (born 1972) is an American journalist and investigative reporter. He is best known for his coverage of profit-seeking cybercriminals.Perlroth, Nicole.Reporting From the Web's Underbelly. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved February 2 ...
, in 2009 a Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
electricity supplier asked the FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
to investigate large-scale thefts of electricity related to its smart meters. The FBI found that former employees of the power company and the company that made the meters were being paid by consumers to reprogram the devices to show incorrect results, as well as teaching people how to do it themselves. Several hacking tools that allow security researchers and penetration testers verify the security of electric utility smart meters have been released so far.
Health
Most health concerns about the meters arise from the pulsed radiofrequency Pulsed radiofrequency is the technique whereby radio frequency (RF) oscillations are gated at a rate of pulses (cycles) per second (one cycle per second is known as a hertz (Hz)). Radio frequency energies occupy to of the electromagnetic spectrum. ...
(RF) radiation emitted by wireless smart meters.
Members of the California State Assembly asked the California Council on Science and Technology
The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is an independent, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization designed to offer expert advice to the California state government and to recommend solutions to science and technology-related pol ...
(CCST) to study the issue of potential health impacts from smart meters, in particular whether current FCC standards are protective of public health. The CCST report in April 2011 found no health impacts, based both on lack of scientific evidence of harmful effects from radio frequency (RF) waves and that the RF exposure of people in their homes to smart meters is likely to be minuscule compared to RF exposure to cell phones and microwave ovens. Daniel Hirsch, retired director of the Program on Environmental and Nuclear Policy at UC Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California system. Located in Monterey Bay ...
, criticized the CCST report on the grounds that it did not consider studies that suggest the potential for non-thermal health effects such as latent cancers from RF exposure. Hirsch also stated that the CCST report failed to correct errors in its comparison to cell phones and microwave ovens and that, when these errors are corrected, smart meters "may produce cumulative whole-body exposures far higher than that of cell phones or microwave ovens."
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted recommended Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for all RF transmitters (including smart meters) operating at frequencies of 300 kHz to 100 GHz. These limits, based on field strength and power density, are below the levels of RF radiation that are hazardous to human health.
Other studies substantiate the finding of the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST). In 2011, the Electric Power Research Institute
EPRI, is an American independent, nonprofit organization that conducts research and development related to the generation, delivery, and use of electricity to help address challenges in the energy industry, including reliability, efficiency, affo ...
performed a study to gauge human exposure to smart meters as compared to the FCC PEL. The report found that most smart meters only transmit RF signals 1% of the time or less. At this rate, and at a distance of 1 foot from the meter, RF exposure would be at a rate of 0.14% of the FCC PEL.
An indirect potential for harm to health by smart meters is that they enable energy companies to disconnect consumers remotely, typically in response to difficulties with payment. This can cause health problems to vulnerable people in financial difficulty; in addition to denial of heat, lighting, and use of appliances, there are people who depend on power to use medical equipment essential for life. While there may be legal protections in place to protect the vulnerable, many people in the UK were disconnected in violation of the rules.[
]
Safety
Issues surrounding smart meters causing fires have been reported, particularly involving the manufacturer Sensus. In 2012. PECO Energy Company
PECO, formerly the Philadelphia Electric Company, is an energy company founded in 1881 and incorporated in 1929. It became part of Exelon Corporation in 2000 when it merged with Commonwealth Edison's holding company Unicom Corp.
The company ...
replaced the Sensus meters it had deployed in the Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, US region after reports that a number of the units had overheated and caused fires. In July 2014, SaskPower
Saskatchewan Power Corporation, trade name, operating as SaskPower, is the principal electric utility in Saskatchewan, Canada. Established in 1929 by the Saskatchewan#Government and politics, provincial government, it serves more than 550,000 cu ...
, the province-run utility company of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
, halted its roll-out of Sensus meters after similar, isolated incidents were discovered. Shortly afterward, Portland General Electric announced that it would replace 70,000 smart meters that had been deployed in the state of Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
after similar reports. The company noted that it had been aware of the issues since at least 2013, and they were limited to specific models it had installed between 2010 and 2012. On July 30, 2014, after a total of eight recent fire incidents involving the meters, SaskPower was ordered by the Government of Saskatchewan
The Government of Saskatchewan () is the provincial government of the province of Saskatchewan. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867.
In modern Canadian use, the term "government" refers broadly to the cabinet of th ...
to immediately end its smart meter program, and remove the 105,000 smart meters it had installed.
Privacy concerns
One technical reason for privacy concerns is that these meters send detailed information about how much electricity is being used each time. More frequent reports provide more detailed information. Infrequent reports may be of little benefit for the provider, as it doesn't allow as good demand management in the response of changing needs for electricity. On the other hand, widespread reports would allow the utility company to infer behavioral pattern
In software engineering, behavioral design patterns are design patterns that identify common communication patterns among objects. By doing so, these patterns increase flexibility in carrying out communication.
Design patterns
Examples of this t ...
s for the occupants of a house, such as when the members of the household are probably asleep or absent. Furthermore, the fine-grained information collected by smart meters raises growing concerns of privacy invasion due to personal behavior exposure (private activity, daily routine, etc.). Current trends are to increase the frequency of reports. A solution that benefits both provider and user privacy would be to adapt the interval dynamically. Another solution involves energy storage installed at the household used to reshape the energy consumption profile. In British Columbia the electric utility is government-owned and as such must comply with privacy laws that prevent the sale of data collected by smart meters; many parts of the world are serviced by private companies that are able to sell their data. In Australia debt collectors can make use of the data to know when people are at home. Used as evidence in a court case in Austin, Texas
Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
, police agencies secretly collected smart meter power usage data from thousands of residences to determine which used more power than "typical" to identify marijuana growing operations.
Smart meter power data usage patterns can reveal much more than how much power is being used. Research has demonstrated that smart meters sampling power levels at two-second intervals can reliably identify when different electrical devices are in use.
Ross Anderson wrote about privacy concerns "It is not necessary for my meter to tell the power company, let alone the government, how much I used in every half-hour period last month"; that meters can provide "targeting information for burglars"; that detailed energy usage history can help energy companies to sell users exploitative contracts; and that there may be "a temptation for policymakers to use smart metering data to target any needed power cuts."
Opt-out options
Reviews of smart meter programs, moratoriums, delays, and "opt-out" programs are some responses to the concerns of customers and government officials. In response to residents who did not want a smart meter, in June 2012 a utility in Hawaii changed its smart meter program to "opt out". The utility said that once the smart grid installation project is nearing completion, KIUC may convert the deferral policy to an opt-out policy or program and may charge a fee to those members to cover the costs of servicing the traditional meters. Any fee would require approval from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.
After receiving numerous complaints about health, hacking, and privacy concerns with the wireless digital devices, the Public Utility Commission of the US state of Maine
Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
voted to allow customers to opt-out of the meter change at the cost of $12 a month. In Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
, another US state to consider smart metering, regulators declined a request by the state's largest utility, Connecticut Light & Power, to install 1.2 million of the devices, arguing that the potential savings in electric bills do not justify the cost. CL&P already offers its customers time-based rates. The state's Attorney General George Jepsen was quoted as saying the proposal would cause customers to spend upwards of $500 million on meters and get few benefits in return, a claim that Connecticut Light & Power disputed.
Abuse of dynamic pricing
Smart meters allow dynamic pricing; it has been pointed out that, while this allows prices to be reduced at times of low demand, it can also be used to increase prices at peak times if all consumers have smart meters. Additionally smart meters allow energy suppliers to switch customers to expensive prepay tariffs instantly in case of difficulties paying. In the UK during a period of very high energy prices from 2022, companies were remotely switching smart meters from a credit tariff to an expensive prepay tariff which disconnects supplies unless credit has been purchased. While regulations do not permit this without appropriate precautions to help those in financial difficulties and to protect the vulnerable, the rules were often flouted. (Prepaid tariffs could also be levied without smart meters, but this required a dedicated prepay meter to be installed.) In 2022, 3.2 million people were left without power at some point after running out of prepay credit.
Limited benefits
There are questions about whether electricity is or should be primarily a "when you need it" service where the inconvenience/ cost-benefit ratio of time-shifting of loads is poor. In the Chicago area, Commonwealth Edison ran a test installing smart meters on 8,000 randomly selected households together with variable rates and rebates to encourage cutting back during peak usage.[ In ''Crain's Chicago Business'' article "Smart grid test underwhelms. In the pilot, few power down to save money.", it was reported that fewer than 9% exhibited any amount of peak usage reduction and that the overall amount of reduction was "statistically insignificant".][ This was from a report by the Electric Power Research Institute, a utility industry think tank who conducted the study and prepared the report. Susan Satter, senior assistant Illinois attorney general for public utilities said "It's devastating to their plan......The report shows zero statistically different result compared to business as usual." ][ ''Smart grid test underwhelms. In pilot, few power down to save money'' by Paul Merrion ''Crain's Chicago Business'' May 30, 2011 Retrieved September 3, 2012]
By 2016, the 7 million smart meters in Texas had not persuaded many people to check their energy data as the process was too complicated.
A report from a parliamentary group in the UK suggests people who have smart meters installed are expected to save an average of £11 annually on their energy bills, much less than originally hoped. The 2016 cost-benefit analysis was updated in 2019 and estimated a similar average saving.
The Australian Victorian Auditor-General found in 2015 that 'Victoria's electricity consumers will have paid an estimated $2.239 billion for metering services, including the rollout and connection of smart meters. In contrast, while a few benefits have accrued to consumers, benefits realisation is behind schedule and most benefits are yet to be realised'
Erratic demand
Smart meters can allow real-time pricing, and in theory this could help smooth power consumption as consumers adjust their demand in response to price changes. However, modelling by researchers at the University of Bremen suggests that in certain circumstances, "power demand fluctuations are not dampened but amplified instead."
In the media
In 2013, ''Take Back Your Power'', an independent Canadian documentary directed by Josh del Sol was released describing "dirty electricity" and the aforementioned issues with smart meters. The film explores the various contexts of the health, legal, and economic concerns. It features narration from the mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...
, Daryl Bennett, as well as American researcher De-Kun Li, journalist Blake Levitt, and Dr. Sam Milham. It won a Leo Award
The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry. Held each May or June in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the Leo Awards were founded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British C ...
for best feature-length documentary and the Annual Humanitarian Award from Indie Fest the following year.
UK roll-out criticism
In a 2011 submission to the Public Accounts Committee, Ross Anderson wrote that Ofgem was "making all the classic mistakes which have been known for years to lead to public-sector IT project failures" and that the "most critical part of the project—how smart meters will talk to domestic appliances to facilitate demand response—is essentially ignored."
Citizens Advice
Citizens AdviceCitizens Advice is the operating name of The National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, which is the umbrella charity for a wider network of local advice centres. The abbreviation CitA is sometimes used to refer to this natio ...
said in August 2018 that 80% of people with smart meters were happy with them. Still, it had 3,000 calls in 2017 about problems. These related to first-generation smart meters losing their functionality, aggressive sales practices, and still having to send smart meter readings.
Ross Anderson of the Foundation for Information Policy Research has criticised the UK's program on the grounds that it is unlikely to lower energy consumption, is rushed and expensive, and does not promote metering competition. Anderson writes, "the proposed architecture ensures continued dominance of metering by energy industry incumbents whose financial interests are in selling more energy rather than less," and urged ministers "to kill the project and instead promote competition in domestic energy metering, as the Germans do – and as the UK already has in industrial metering. Every consumer should have the right to appoint the meter operator of their choice."
The high number of SMETS1 meters installed has been criticized by Peter Earl, head of energy at the price comparison website comparethemarket.com. He said, "The Government expected there would only be a small number of the first-generation of smart meters before Smets II came in, but the reality is there are now at least five million and perhaps as many as 10 million Smets I meters."
UK smart meters in southern England and the Midlands use the mobile phone network to communicate, so they do not work correctly when phone coverage is weak. A solution has been proposed, but was not operational as of March 2017.
In March 2018 the National Audit Office (NAO), which watches over public spending, opened an investigation into the smart meter program, which had cost £11bn by then, paid for by electricity users through higher bills. The National Audit Office published the findings of its investigation in a report titled "Rolling out smart meters" published in November 2018. The report, amongst other findings, indicated that the number of smart meters installed in the UK would fall materially short of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) original ambitions of all UK consumers having a smart meter installed by 2020. In September 2019, smart meter rollout in the UK was delayed for four years.
Ross Anderson and Alex Henney wrote that "Ed Miliband
Edward Samuel Miliband (born 24 December 1969) is a British politician who has served as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero since July 2024. He has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for D ...
cooked the books" to make a case for smart meters appear economically viable. They say that the first three cost-benefit analyses of residential smart meters found that it would cost more than it would save, but "ministers kept on trying until they got a positive result... To achieve 'profitability' the previous government stretched the assumptions shamelessly".
A counter-fraud officer at Ofgem
The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is the government regulator for the electricity and downstream natural gas markets in Great Britain. It was formed by the merger of the Office of Electricity Regulation (OFFER) and Office of G ...
with oversight of the roll-out of the smart meter program who raised concerns with his manager about many millions of pounds being misspent was threatened in 2018 with imprisonment under section 105 of the Utilities Act 2000
The Utilities Act 2000 (c. 27) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that deals with the gas and electrical markets in the UK. It mainly modified the Gas Act 1986, the Gas Act 1995 and Electricity Act 1989. One of the greatest chan ...
, prohibiting disclosure of some information relevant to the energy sector, with the intention of protecting national security. The Employment Appeal Tribunal
The Employment Appeal Tribunal is a tribunal in England and Wales and Scotland, and is a superior court of record. Its primary role is to hear appeals from Employment Tribunals in England, Scotland and Wales. It also hears appeals from decisions ...
found that the law was in contravention of the European Convention on Human Rights
The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is a Supranational law, supranational convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. Draf ...
.
Main suppliers
Top ten smart electricity meters suppliers depends on the ranking method
Among them
* Landis+Gyr
Landis+Gyr AG is a publicly listed, multinational corporation operating in over 30 countries and headquartered in Cham, Switzerland. Landis+Gyr makes meters and related software for electricity, gas and water utilities.
History
Landis+Gyr was f ...
* Itron
The ITRON project was the first sub-project of the TRON project. It has formulated and defined Industrial TRON (ITRON) specification for an embedded real-time OS (RTOS) kernel.
Originally undertaken in 1984, ITRON is a Japanese open standard for ...
* Xylem
Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue (biology), tissue in vascular plants, the other being phloem; both of these are part of the vascular bundle. The basic function of the xylem is to transport water upward from the roots to parts o ...
(formerly Sensus)
*
* Honeywell
Honeywell International Inc. is an American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It primarily operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building automation, industrial automa ...
/ Elster
*
*
* Holley Technology Ltd
Gallery
File:Elster Type R15 electricity meter.jpeg, Newer retrofitted U.S. domestic digital electricity meter Elster REX with 900 MHz mesh network
A mesh network is a local area network topology in which the infrastructure nodes (i.e. bridges, switches, and other infrastructure devices) connect directly, dynamically and non-hierarchically to as many other nodes as possible and cooperate wit ...
topology for automatic meter reading
Automatic meter reading (AMR) is the technology of automatically collecting consumption, diagnostic, and status data from water meter or energy metering devices (gas, electric) and transferring that data to a central database for billing, trouble ...
and "EnergyAxis" time-of-use metering.
File:Elster A3 Alpha Type A30 electricity meter collector.jpeg, Each local mesh networked smart meter has a hub such as this Elster A3 Type A30, which interfaces 900MHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...
smart meters to the metering automation server via a landline.
File:Itron OpenWay Electricity Meter with Two-Way Communications.JPG, Itron OpenWay electricity Smart meter with two-way communications for remote reading in use by DTE Energy
See also
* DASH7
* Distributed generation
Distributed generation, also distributed energy, on-site generation (OSG), or district/decentralized energy, is electrical generation and storage performed by a variety of small, grid-connected or distribution system-connected devices referred ...
* DLMS
* Electranet
ElectraNet Pty Ltd, trading as ElectraNet, is an electricity transmission company in South Australia. It operates 5,591 km of high-voltage electricity transmission lines in South Australia.
ElectraNet is owned by Australian Utilities Pt ...
* Home energy monitor
* Home idle load
* Home network
Home Network is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language Discretionary service, discretionary cable television, cable and satellite television, satellite specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. Home Network broadcasts programs r ...
* Meter-Bus
M-Bus or Meter-Bus is a European Committee for Standardization, European standard (EN 13757-2 physical and link layer, EN 13757-3 application layer) for the remote reading of water meter, water, gas meter, gas or electricity meters. M-Bus is als ...
* Meter data management
* Net metering
Net metering (or net energy metering, NEM) is an electricity billing mechanism that allows consumers who generate some or all of their own electricity to use that electricity anytime, instead of when it is generated. This is particularly impor ...
* Nonintrusive load monitoring
* Open metering system
* Open smart grid protocol
* Power line communication
Power-line communication (PLC) is the carrying of data on a conductor (the ''power-line carrier'') that is also used simultaneously for AC electric power transmission or electric power distribution to consumers.
A wide range of power-line comm ...
* Smart grid
The smart grid is an enhancement of the 20th century electrical grid, using two-way communications and distributed so-called intelligent devices. Two-way flows of electricity and information could improve the delivery network. Research is main ...
* Utility submetering
Utility sub-metering is a system that allows a landlord, property management firm, Condominium (living space), condominium association, homeowners association, or other multi-tenant property to bill tenants for individual measured utility usage. T ...
* Virtual power plant
Notes
References
External links
TIA Smart Utility Networks - U.S. Standardization Process
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Australia
Smart Metering Projects Map - Google Maps
Mad about metered billing? They were in 1886, too
��Ars Technica
''Ars Technica'' is a website covering news and opinions in technology, science, politics, and society, created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews, and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, sci ...
UK Smart Meters
{{Authority control
*
Energy measurement
Electric power distribution
Electric power
Meter
The metre (or meter in US spelling; symbol: m) is the base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). Since 2019, the metre has been defined as the length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of of ...
Internet of things