A look at the rise of the residential smart electricity meter
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If you feel like you’re hearing about smart metres everywhere, there’s a good reason for it. With power prices rising across the country, more and more Australians are realising the opportunity to limit our impact on the environment. Simply by being mindful of our daily energy usage habits, smart metres are an easy and impactful way to get on top of your power usage. As more and more people are realising the benefits of smart meters, the global market is tipped to top $13.5 billion by the end of 2022.
Keep scrolling to learn more about smart metres, how they can help you keep on top of your energy usage while doing your bit for the environment and what the future holds for this technology.
What is a Smart Electricity Meter?
In a nutshell, a smart meter works in place of your traditional ‘clockface’ style electricity meters. Like traditional electricity meters, smart meters measure your household’s electricity usage – but that’s where the similarities end. Smart meters measure your home’s energy usage in real-time and communicate this back to your energy provider without the need for them to visit your home for a manual reading. Smart meters are also compatible with handy add-ons like the Electricity Advisor and emerald EMS app, which allows you to track your energy usage from your mobile phone.
How do Smart Meters Impact the Environment?
By helping households everywhere reduce their power usage, smart meters have the potential to reduce energy consumption hugely. Here’s how it works. By tracking your power usage in real-time, smart meters give you a better understanding of your usage without any lags. By using an app like emerald EMS, you can also set a personalised budgets that helps you set achievable month-on-month electricity-saving targets.
What does the future hold?
With all states and territories in Australia (except for of Western Australia and the Northern Territory) now mandating the use of smart metres in all new builds, and when traditional power boxes need replacing, smart meters will soon be the norm. On top of the benefits to the environment and your reduced electricity bills mentioned above, new products and accessories are on the way, including smart hot-water systems, air-conditioning thermostats and appliance level electricity monitoring via smart plugs. Want to take advantage of these benefits in your home? Contact your energy provider and ask about upgrading to a smart metre.
