Smart Meters
Is your energy retailer denying you a smart meter?
In October 2014, the then NSW Minister for Energy Anthony Roberts announced a rollout of Smart Meters for all NSW homes and businesses. He said:
“The market-led rollout of smart meters is the NSW Government’s next step in putting the power firmly into the hands of electricity customers.”
Seven years on, this market-based approach has resulted some of our larger electricity retailers dropping the ball badly. I'm singling out Origin Energy, who have annual revenues of $15 billion and over 4 million customers.
This is embarassing. In Victoria, they completed their rollout of Smart Meters by 2004.
Overseas, the UK is well along in a rollout of 3 million smart meters. The EU's goal is to provide smart meters to 80 per cent of consumers. France has committed to install 35 million meters as part of a $A19.7 billion spend, and the the Chinese government are deploying up to 380 million of them.
This isn't good enough. With a Smart Meter, you can monitor your energy consumption using a smart phone app on a much more granular level.
I badgered Origin to give me the Smart Meter the scheme promised 7 years ago, and they grudgingly did so as a one off.
The precedent neatly set, watch this video to see how you can demand the same. Yes, they probably will be annoyed, but it's time they did the right thing.