Business Energy Tech: How Smart Meters Work

A smart meter is a must-have device if you plan to stay on top your home and business energy bills. The UK government”s move to replace outdated meters with smart meters in all homes, by 2019, should give some idea of the money-saving benefits of these gadgets. The Energy Saving Trust agrees, reporting that smart meters can help consumers save up to 10 percent on their home and business energy bills, which amounts to £105 per year for residential consumers and £547 for businesses. Although some naysayers question the value of smart meters: how can a knowledge of your energy consumption translate into savings?

How Smart Meters Work

Smart meters are on pace with this age of digital and wireless technology. The greatest benefit of a smart meter comes from their ability to quickly relay details of your energy consumption to your supplier, removing the need for meter readings and estimated bills. The screen displays not only your energy consumption, but also how much you”re spending in pounds and pence – all in real time. The device canprovide historical data so that you can compare your current and past electricity and gas consumption.

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By consigning meter readings and estimated bills to the history books, energy regulators give consumers accurate energy bills, and the additional information provides users with control of their energy usage and highlights opportunities to save. Here are some reasons you”ll want one in your home or business. Smart meters are encouraged by providers, such as Gexa Energy, so that you can have complete control over your spending and avoid surprises on your power bill.

The End of Estimated Bills

As a business owner, an accurate budget will put your mind at ease. Installing a smart meter in your place of work removes unpleasant surprises and helps you to adjust your usage to stay on track with your monthly projections. Of course, it helps to have cheap electricity rates to begin with, so you”ll save more with conscientious monitoring of your energy usage. When it comes to renewing your business electricity contract, be sure to ask about deals with smart monitoring included.

Whether it”s your business or home energy bill, a smart meter provides 100 percent precise readings to remove the outrage of an unexpected and innacurate bill.

Analyze Energy Consumption

With a smart meter in your office, you”ll see how much it costs to leave your computers on standby at night. Smart meters, when used in conjunction with smart monitors, smart power strips, and other connected devices, will give you the power to control your energy usage. Use the technology to compare your usage and spending to the previous month and set targets to reduce your consumption. As you monitor your usage daily or weekly, you”re more likely to change your wasteful habits to reduce your carbon footprint and increase savings.

Start Saving

Smart meters and energy monitors won”t reduce your energy consumption on their own. They reveal how much energy you”re using at different times and with various appliances to increase your awareness.  Analyze the data and look for opportunities to use less energy and save money. Small changes, such as turning off office equipment on standby and purchasing energy efficient appliances will make a tremendous difference in your energy costs. If smart meters increase your conscientiousness and force you to make changes, they”ll be a win-win for everyone involved.

Kate Duncan is an avid environmentalist and blogger. She likes to share her know-how by posting on the web. You will mainly find her posts on business and environmental blogs.