Smart meters only yield small energy savings, research finds

Smart meters are capable of only modestly reducing residential energy demand and yield unimpressive energy savings, recent research from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, has been able to suggest.

The study compared data for nine months before and after the new features were introduced in November 2011 by a utility company which serves more than 20,000 household customers.

It suggests smart technology only modestly reduced residential energy demand among users during the most expensive peak periods, dropping just 2.6% during on-peak periods and 2.4% during mid-peak periods following the change.

Catherine Rosenberg, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said: “Is it enough? Of that I’m not sure. We don’t have the data to decide if these kinds of savings warrant the use of smart meters.”

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