We live in a world where technology advances at the speed of light. New products and techniques are entering the market every day, and one of the products attracting a lot of attention is the smart meter. Smart meters are used to record the consumption of electric price usage, typically at intervals of one hour or less. This information is then quickly passed on to the utility for monitoring and billing.

Sounds useful, right? So why all the controversy? Some utilities have recorded minor complaints regarding:

• Lack of privacy
• Health concerns such as headaches and sleeplessness from the radio frequencies
• Harmful effects to the bee population

On the other end of the spectrum, much of the population supports the smart meter, stating that it provides many benefits including:

• Detailed feedback on energy use which enables customers to adjust their habits and lower their electric bills
• Reduction of blackouts
• Preventing the need for new power plants
• Eliminating manual meter reading
• Providing automatic outage notification to the electric utilities to help restore power quickly

As with any product, there will be varying opinions and experiences. Companies and residents are both able to benefit from smart meters, so if you are considering installing one, it is important to consider the pros and cons when making your decision. If you need further assistance, visit our SMARTmeter page to learn more, if you are looking to lower your commercial energy rates visit our sister company BidURenergy.com.

Sarah Battaglia
Company Website