Smart meters the way forward for Ireland

A leading energy expert has said that smart meters are the way forward for Ireland.

Cathy Mannion, director of Electricity Networks and Retail Division at the Commission for Energy Regulations (CER) has said that it is a question of when, and not if, smart metering will be installed and implemented.

Ms. Mannion is reported to have said: “We acknowledge that smart meters are the wave of the future. I suppose the question comes down to not whether we take up smart metering, but when will we take it up?”

Smart meters feed energy use information directly from customer’s meters to energy suppliers, cutting out the need to meter readers. Advocates of smart meters argue that they will reduce customer complaints about estimated billing, and increase retail competition. Furthermore, it is argued that smart metering will reduce energy use. Those who oppose smart metering argue that it will be used by energy suppliers to easily cut off customers who struggle to pay their bills on time.

The first batch of 25,000 smart meters are set to be installed for a pilot scheme starting in July, which will assess the effectiveness of the technology. The pilot meters will start feeding data to suppliers by the end of the year. It is hoped that the scheme will clear up the questions about the capabilities and limitations of smart metering.

Ms. Mannion said of technology: “The need for smart metering technology only gets stronger over time and we think it is the right time to begin now.”