6 Must-Know Things About A Smart Electric Meter

Electricity is a basic need in all homes. You need a source of electric energy to power up your appliances, security, and lighting system. Different people opt for varying power sources. Some prefer solar while a good number go for fuel power generators. However, mains are the overall source of electric energy powering homes across the globe. 

Different countries have varying roles on controlling electric supply from the mains. Some states and countries allow more than one player in the power industry while others have a government parastatal which is the single power suppliers. Regardless of the rules, on aspect is common: an electric meter.

Like water, you have an electric meters that measures your power usage. These meters come in different types. For long people have been using the analog meters. Such meters required a power supplier agent to visit your home each month to take readings and determine your electric bills. 

With technology, smart meters are now the real deal.  But before you contract an electrician from Same Day Trades or another reputable company and consider a meter box upgrade, you need to know more about these meters.  Read on to learn about a smart meter and things you should know about it.

 What is smart meter?

As the term suggests, a smart meter is an electronic device capable of assessing your power usage, displaying it to you, and sending the same information to the utility supplier. This means that no regular visits by supplier agents to take meter readings. 

Some of these meters are work on prepayment aspect. Instead of waiting for a monthly bill, you pay as you go. The benefit of this smart meters is that it helps you enhancing your energy use efficiency.    

Things you need to know about smart meters

Probably, you are still stuck on the analog meters. Your supplier is consistently making calls requesting you to upgrade to the smart ones. Also, you found a good electrician from reputable company such as Same Day Trades. Before making the move, here are things you need to know:

No charges for getting the smart meters

When you think of installing a smart meter, the word cost pops up in your mind. You wonder why should you spend money yet you can read and pay your electric bills on the current meter. 

The good thing is that smart meters are free. Your power supplier will offer this meter without charging you a dime. However, you will might need an electrician to install it. But the cost of doing this is small than one you would pay to acquire the smart meter if you were to buy one. 

Smart meter are accurate

Do you regularly receive power bills that you think are not a reflection of your real consumption? Maybe you delayed sending your meter readings or the supplier responsible for the task did not show up.

With the analog meter, many suppliers use estimation as their mode of determining your power consumption. They will determine the average power usage in your household per month. This number may be extremely higher than your actual usage.

You can avoid such disappointment and regular complaints to the supplier by switching to smart meters. These meters are accurate and display the actual reading of units of power used. So, you won’t rely on estimated readings that impact your power bills negatively. 

They are efficient but not money-saving magic button

One of the main benefits of smart meters is that they will improve your efficiency. As noted, the smart meter will show accurate readings. You can know how much you are consuming per day and adjust your usage. Also, you do not need to struggle getting the readings. All these enhance the efficiency levels in your home.

However, switching to a smart meter is not a magic button to saving your money. You need to use other ways of reducing your electric bills. For instance, switching to a new supplier can be enhance your savings.    

You can use the same meter with a different supplier

Are you looking on to swipe your current power supplier? While this is a good idea, you are in a mix wondering whether you will need another smart meter. You are enduring high power costs from the current supplier to avoid inconveniences when you switch to a new one.

The good news is: you do not require a new smart meter when you switch supplier. Modern smart meters are universal. This means that they can work and support any power supplier in your area.

Support service in case of malfunctioning

No doubt, going for a day without power due to a meter malfunctioning can be a bad experience. It will mean that 90% of your household appliances will go off. This incident can amount to a he loss. 

With smart meters, you do not need to worry. Many power suppliers partner with reputable meter maintenance companies such as Same Day Trades to offer consistent and timely support. So, with a smart meter, you will get instant support in case of a malfunctioning issue. 

You get all information you need

Are you struggling to get your meter readings? Certainly, many people face challenges to get their analog power meter readings. The case is hard for countries where you have the duty of sending your meter readings for bill processing. 

You can save yourself from such stressful experiences. The secret is switching to a smart meter. Like other smart devices, this meter will display all information you need to know about your energy consumption. The meter will show number of units you consume at a particular day and time. With this information, you can make conscious decisions on power usage.

Wrapping Up

As you can see, moving to a smart meter can be a good idea. The move will save you from paying exorbitant power bills. You can reduce your power usage by using prepaid meters. Also, it offers you all information pertaining to power consumption. This way, you can make the right decision in monitoring and adjusting your power bills.