Smart meters make smart consumers

This paper shows how advanced utility meters could help people cut their energy bills. Basically, the idea is simple, smart metering lets the people see how much power their home is consuming and eventually encourage them to use less energy. As well as having more informative displays, which might be separate from the actual meter and located somewhere more prominent, smart meters usually incorporate a remote reading facility - putting an end to house calls and estimated bills. The key distinction between smart-meter types is determined by their communication, that is, whether there is any with the energy supplier, whether this is one-way or two-way and the data-storage capability of the meter. The combination of these features determines the extent to which the metering system can help customers reduce their energy usage.