Five Reasons Why Smart Meters will create a Smart Future

Smart meters have been installed with an increasing trend across domestic and commercial points nationwide. In the United States alone, there are approximately 60 million installations proving that digitization of the metering infrastructure has the promising future in the developing nations as well. Industrial and commercial installations have also risen subsequently. What makes the digital meter so popular?

Here are a few things you should know about smart meters and their rise in India:

1.     Service Improvement

The traditional meters, while maintaining an ongoing record of the power consumption at a home or industrial unit, can offer only monthly readings. The customers are subsequently billed according to their consumption of electricity.

On the contrary, a smart meter offers a valuable communication that is two-way. This means that the utility department and the meter (at the customer’s end) can engage in a communication over a wireless or radio network. This two-way channel enables the immediate detection of power outages and other service problems that can be quickly rectified. Most of these problems can be resolved without the utility department having to visit the business site or home.

2.      Grid Reliability

As a result of smart meters, the power grids become more reliable. During power outages, the restoration process is much faster. Additionally, the utility departments offer incentives to customers that encourage them to reduce their power consumption during peak hours. The smart grid system is also less susceptible to accidents and natural disasters which works well in its favour particularly in diverse weather and geographical conditions such as that found in India.

3.     Environmental Benefit

Electricity meter manufacturers in India are also aware of the environmental benefits that come with smart meters. They can enable the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. More importantly, smart meters are an important part of innovative energy management systems. Such systems ensure the use of energy more efficiently and sharing the information with consumers for making smart decisions. Knowing when they are consuming more energy, consumers can devise plans to conserve and reduce energy use.

4.     Safe to Use

Smart meters are more reliable and safer than traditional and analogue meters. Smart meters also communicate through radio frequencies and over the internet. However, studies show that smart meters operate at a much lower radio frequency (even below than that of cell phones) which makes them safer to use and prevent any serious health hazards. Health hazards remained a serious concern with the traditional electricity meters.

5.     A Better Future

While the demand for energy is growing rapidly, we are looking at a future that is wrought with crises. But smart meters can show us a way forward in that they allow for quick integration of new technology. In the near future, we can also expect smart meters to read electricity generated from cleaner energy sources including solar and wind power. This will boost the route for innovative energy production and management solutions that is an immediate requirement. 

Given these developments, smart meters are definitely going to play an important role in energy conservation and use in the near future.

HPL Electric and Power Limited is a leading player in the electrical equipment industry in India. Choose from a wide range of its LED products that have been certified to conform to Indian and International standards such as ISI, CE, and KEMA.