Utility credits intelligent meters with $750 million in annual savings
Imagine being able to make decisions about when to do laundry or run the dishwasher based on time-of-day energy pricing. In Italy, where smart meters have been rolled out to 85 per cent of the population, homeowners can make informed choices on their energy consumption—and the benefits are adding up. The Italian utility Enel, which is in turn able to base its energy production on consumer energy consumption data, estimates that it is reaping an annual savings of $750 million from smart meter technology. In just four years, the company has been able to recoup the infrastructure costs. Other countries are looking to Italy as a leader in smart meter technology.