Use of Smart Grid and Smart meter technologies could save the consumer money, and provide additional revenue opportunities to the Network operators.
Picture the scene, you are on your way home when suddenly your house calls to inform you that little Jimmy has spent too long on his video games, and that you could save an extra 10% on your electricity by switching providers today. The 'Smart home', long term dream of technophile's everywhere, seems like a long way off. But hold on, recent research conducted in the US and featured in this week's episode of Green Planet shows that this dream may become reality sooner than you think.
The ideas talked about form a triple threat of consumer savings, environmental efficiency and new revenue opportunities. 'Smart grids' and 'Smart meters' appear to be a legitimate answer to these key issues.
Research undertaken overseas on a fair size number of households, has seen an average of 10% reduction in household electricity bills, purely by having the consumers be able to monitor their own usage.
Where this will come into it's own, is by combining this new technology with consumer interface models that I have previously seen around IPTV, hence the move toward the 'smart home'. Add to that the opportunity to monitor, manage and update your energy use on the move and you have a compelling opporunity for both fixed and mobile operators to make some extra cash.
This technology, like many others, has the potential to mean big value to the consumer and therefore big value to the industry players who get it right first.
please sign in to rate this article
45197
