How Can a Smart Meter Save You Money?

How we all consume energy has a pattern and that affects the costs as a result. During times when there is a high demand, so weekday mornings when everyone needs that morning shower, for example, is a high energy use time. Overnight when few people need a lot of energy, is a time where there is low energy use so the rates are lower. If more people move most or even just some of their energy use to times that off-peak or low demand, not only is that better for the power grid not having too much demand all at once, it is good for your energy bills. It would mean in terms of infrastructure that expensive upgrades would not be required as much because things are being used with more thought. If you want to learn more about changing your energy habits and saving money and the environment look for an electrician near me.

Time of Use Tariffs or Flexible Pricing Plans

To encourage people to use energy during those off-peak periods there are regular and flat-rate pricing tariffs. But if you have a level 2 electrician near me put in your smart meter this can save you more money in a number of ways. Firstly there are the plans offered. Flexible plans vary from one provider to another but are often across three time periods. The peak could be 2 pm to 8 pm. The shoulder is something like 7 am to 2 pm and then 8 pm to 10 pm in the weekday evenings and all day at the weekends. Then off-peak which is 10 pm to 7 am every day. Peak is more expensive, then shoulder then off-peak. Whether you save money depends on whether you move your usage.

You could choose appliances that have time delay abilities so you can tell the dishwasher to start when it is 10 pm, for example. The big energy users are things like dishwashers, washing machines, pool pumps, dryers and water heaters.

Getting a Smart Meter

Having a smart meter means you get a far better picture of how you use your energy, and can therefore make direct changes when you learn that. A search for an electrician near me can find you someone who can install a smart one if that has not already been done since there is a big national push for homes to move from old meters to smart ones. A smart meter will be put in if you need a broken old meter replaced, if the old one is faulty, if you find a new energy supplier, if you request one or if your area is part of a smart meter deployment effort.

What if You Do Not See the Need for One?

As it stands right now if there is nothing wrong with your meter you can opt-out as long as you did not waive your right to opt-out when you signed a new contract with your new energy supplier. But you have a certain time period to opt-out by, before that is not an option. If your current meter needs a level 2 electrician near me to repair it, then they are likely going to come with a new smart meter.