When I was little I was fascinated by the electricity meter. I was so little I had to stand on parental shoulders to see the thing. Loved the way the disc would go round, slowly, like some kind of mystical, important machine, with its locks and seals and unknowable numbers.
But that was back in nineteen-canteen. That we should still have the exact same machine now is practically incredible - were we not s'posed to be flying around aided by jetpacks by about - ohh - 1998 or something?
This year the age of the smart meter has finally arrived. You can plan your energy use, benefit from off-peak, see how much you're using, set targets, all that jazz. Brilliant!
Scottish Energy provider Southern Electric have been quick off the mark with their iplan service, which offers its own tarriff and online management - you also get a nifty Onzo smart meter.
According to the Npower website, every household in the UK will receive a smart meter over the next 11 years.
How cool will it be not to get those estimated bills and either a) know you'll have to pay the difference when the next meter reading is done or b) wait for the next reading so you pay less. Just paying for what you consume - lovely.
I'm definitely looking forward to the end of estimated bills!
Just to clarify a common misconception - smart meters and energy displays (or energy monitors) are two different things with different purposes.
Smart meters will replace your existing meter and send info directly to your supplier. This is what will put an end to estimated bills, but can't in itself help you save energy.
Energy displays/monitors such as the Onzo Smart Energy Kit, which includes a sensor, display and web site, are designed to work with non-smart meters and can give you real-time information about how much energy you’re using, how much it’s costing and give recommendations on how to reduce or change your consumption.
Posted by: OnzoHQ | 11/02/2010 at 09:28 AM
Hi OnzoHQ and many thanks for the comment. I was aware of this distinction (honest!) but I've noticed that a lot of the media (and even some suppliers) had started referring to the energy displays/monitors as meters.
So, I was doing so too in the belief that the terms were now interchangeable. I'll be sure to make the distinction clear from now on though.
The Onzo display look really cool by the way. Can you point me in the direction of any sites where I can get more intimate with its specifications?
Thanks,
Iain (Energy News UK blogger)
Posted by: Energy News UK | 11/03/2010 at 02:59 AM