Smart metering has been rolled out with considerable success in a number of world wide markets including the United States, Italy, Sweden and Australia.

Indeed for some years BEAMA members have produced meters and controls enabling suppliers and consumers to establish an accurate, up-to-the-minute record. This ensures an accurate statement can be calculated and billed, avoiding the problem of increasing high bills for customers. There is worldwide evidence that giving consumers appropriate, relevant information on their energy use usually leading to a reduction in their use of energy.

The following projects are selected examples of smart metering implementation around the world.

(Please click on Project below to show/hide details)

Bath

Aim Energy consumption monitored over a 9-month period and compared (weather-corrected) to the previous year's consumption. Participants (with the exception of the control group) received feedback in various forms, i.e. consumption compared to previous consumption or to similar others; energy saving tips in leaflets or on a computer; or feedback relating to financial or environmental costs. Consumption Residential Utility Electricity and Gas Duration 9 Months Size of Trial 120 households Location Bath, UK Date 1999 Web weblink   Display Display on PC Advice Home visits + energy saving tips in leaflets or on a computer; or feedback relating to financial or environmental costs   Electricity Most households reduced consumption Gas Most households reduced consumption Note Overall the results indicated that income and demographic features predicted historic energy consumption but not changes in consumption during the field study, where environmental attitudes and feedback were influential. Of all the feedback groups, the installation of computers helped reduce consumption most markedly. Furthermore, people with positive environmental attitudes, but who had not previously been engaged in many conservation actions, were more likely to change their consumption subsequent to the feedback period.

Birka Tecknik og Miljo

Consumption Residential Utility Electricity Size of Trial 288 residents of apartment block. No-one had electric heating Location Sweden Date 1998 Web weblink   Display On keypad-type (prepayment) meter. Information on consumption, cost, tariff, 'effect' [=environmental impact?] Frequency Real time hourly Note Coincided with move from group to individual metering.   Electricity -20%

California's Statewide Pricing Pilot

Aim To test if customers shift or reduce load to time varying price signals. Consumption Residential Utility Electricity Duration 2 years Location California, USA Date 2003 Note Tested different pricing options for different customer groups based on local climate differences Web weblink   Functions Variety of Time of Use and Critical Peak Price options on top of 5 block tariff   Electricity Various: +2% to -14% reduction during peak periods. Dependent on tariff Note Big price differentials are needed to obtain reductions in the 10-15% range. Residential customers are more price responsive than commerce and industry. Climate is key driver for demand response (warm climate and reduction in air-con use)

Canada 1992

Aim Conservation effect of immediate electricity cost feedback information Consumption Residential Utility Electricity Duration 60 days Size of Trial 33 + 67 controls. All-electric family homes. Location Canada Date 1992 Web weblink   Display Cost/Energy display on PC Frequency constant   Electricity -12% Savings feedback given for 60 days; use of display increased over that period.

Country Energy

Aim To better understand our residential customers' propensity to change their electricity consumption patterns, if provided with more information about their consumption and its relative costs at different times of the day and year Consumption Domestic Utility Electricity Duration 18 month Size of Trial 150 customers in stage 1[single phase], 50 customers in stage 2 [mix of polyphase and single phase] Location Eastern Australia Date Dec 2004 Note Introduction of 4 time of day price bands: 7c/kWh to 38c/kWh   Telemetry PLC Analysis Home energy monitor' system - displays consumption history/patterns Note For critical peak pricing periods consumers are alerted >2hr beforehand via email, SMS and meter   Display On meter: Cost and consumption. Daily, weekly and monthly. Red light and alarm for critical peak periods. Advice Yes Frequency real time 1/2 hourly   Electricity variable: -25% to 0%

ENEL AMM Alliance

Aim To create a AMM network for 30 million customers in Italy. Main aim to manage peak demand and manage bad payers. Consumption Residential Utility Electricity Duration Permanent Size of Trial 21 million meters, 30 million customers Location Italy Cost €2.1 billion over 5 years Date 2005 onwards Note Replacement period of 4 years. 40k meters installed daily. Web weblink   Meter Single phase Telemetry PLC 2.5 Kbps half-duplex to concentrator. GSM from concentrator to CRM. Note New demand side management tariffs for householders introduced   Display LCD on meter Frequency Accurate bills Note Capability to curtail power supply to specific customers at any time   Electricity Estimated 5% reduction of peak demand for 3 hours, 10 days a yr.

Niagara Mowhawk

Aim Low-income weatherisation pilot project that field-tested weatherisation, energy education and money management components compared to weatherisation alone Consumption Residential Utility Electricity and Gas Duration 14 months Size of Trial 47 (+ 30 controls), low-income Location USA Date 1992 Web weblink   Display On 'energy log' display Advice 3 home visits Frequency constant   Electricity -3% Gas -27% Savings Over 14 months of project

Ontario SM implementation

Aim Ongoing supply/demand challenge: ageing generation plant and predicted increased demand. Economy wide conservation target of 5% reduction in growth in peak demand. Consumption Residential and business Utility Electricity Duration 5 years Size of Trial 90+ local distribution utlities, 800,000 homes and businesses by 2007. Replace all concential meters by 2010. Location Ontario Canada Cost Capital cost of installation for all Ontario customers $850m (US). Estimated to increase monthly bills to consumers by $3 -$4 by 2010 Date 2005 -2010 Web weblink   Advice Introduction of time-of-use tariffs: on/mid/off peak rates: 2.9c/kWh to 9.3c/kWh   Note Investigating other programes which may be required to help nuture a 'culture of conservation'

Pilot systems

Consumption SME Industrial, offices, pubs, churches, small plant Utility Electricity Duration 2 years Size of Trial 48 half-hourly customers and 25 non-half-hourly customers Location UK Cost £150 per meter per annum total Date Nov 2005 Web weblink   Meter Any FLAG meter (electronic with 1107) Elster, Actaris, PRI, Ampy, Siemens, Horstmann Rate Half hourly data Telemetry PSTN, Paknet and GSM Analysis Monthly review of profile on weekday basis, highlighting deviations Functions Daily retrieval, and import to web server for user access   Display On Internet. Daily graph of HH data, monthly view of each weekday on 7 graphs Advice Person closest to control of operation (e.g. site manager) given access to web site so he owns the process Frequency Real time 1/2 hourly   Electricity Variable: -25% to 0%, total suggested 847119 kWh or £55063, total implemented : 149685 kWh or £6096 Note hard work getting user to put effort in, or spend money, even when savings can be proved

SenterNovem

Aim Cost/benefit analysis of large scale introduction of smart metering for residential customers. Consumption Residential Utility Electricity and gas Duration 10 year transition time Location Netherlands Cost For the CBA a period of 30 years (7% internal rate of return) is used. Costs: purchase and installation costs = ~€800m, monthly billing = ~€450m, data infrastructure = ~€350m. Benefits: easier swithcing, increased competition = ~€1350m, Reduced complaints Note Cost-benefit analysis rather than actual pilot. Web weblink   Meter kWh counter, logging consumption per period (gas and elec), standard output for data Telemetry 2 way comms using modem. 40% PLC, 40% internet, 20% GSM Functions Monthly billing.   Display Yes - in house.   Note Analysis concludes that Government and Regulator action is desirable. Defining standards and function across industry is necessary.

TEXAS - DSM

Aim Testing Demand Side Management information and communications technologies. Consumption Residential Utility Electricity Duration Long term Size of Trial 600+ Location Texas, USA Date 1998   Telemetry AMR   Advice No Frequency Constant Note Meter gave news of outages, TOU pricing. Used for customer load management; they can take advantage of cheap offpeak rates   Electricity 7-10%; 2kW peak reduction Savings Long term

Vattenfall AMR

Aim Swedish Government proposition to have monthly meter reads for all customers by 2009 and hourly readings for all customers with 80-200 Amps by July 2006 Consumption Residential and Industrial Utility Electricity Duration Permanent Size of Trial ~900,000+ [phased introduction] Location Sweden Cost 54 Billion Swedish Krona? (~ £3.8 bn) Date 2003-2009 Note Roll out of meters over 4 phases. Phase 1 = up to 50K meters (radio AMR); Phase 2 = up to 50k meters (PLC AMR); Phase 3 (PLC AMR ) Web weblink   Meter Choice of Actaris or Iskraemeco Rate Daily data collection - monthly exporting to billing systems Telemetry Actaris: 433Mhz radio to collector. GSM from collector to central system. Iskraemeco: PLC to collector. IP from collector to central system Functions Daily data retrieval to enable accuarate monthly billing