Whitepapers

Factsheet for non-domestic consumers explaining plan for implementation of smart metering and benefits

Factsheet for domestic consumers explaining the plans for implementation and the benefits to consumers

Members discussed recent events in the energy industry from a customer perspective. As well as the perceived benefits & drawbacks of smart meters and what types of communications they may wish to see before, during and after the rollout programme.

The case study, PowerCentsDC: A Model for Stakeholder Collaboration, focuses on a pilot program in the District of Columbia called PowerCentsDC, which involves smart meters and a number of different demand response options. According to NAPC, the pilot was unique because “various stakeholders—including consumer advocates, regulators and the local utility—joined together from the beginning to design, plan and implement it. Early education and involvement of stakeholders has become a high-priority issue in the [Demand Response] and Smart Grid sector according to most experts in the field.”

This new white paper concludes that the benefits to customers and utilities for investing in smart meters’ advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and associated energy management technologies will outweigh the costs. The Costs and Benefits of Smart Meters for Residential Customers, which was prepared by the Institute for Electric Efficiency (IEE), the Brattle Group, and To the Point, identifies three benefit categories: operational, customer, and societal.