Smart Metering, an important step into the future and foundation stone for using electricity and gas efficiently

 

More transparency, more efficiency, closer to the customer - a new measurement age has begun: intelligent meters offer private households plenty of information possibilities about their current energy consumption.

 

With the help of a digital, remotely readable measurement appliance, a so-called Smart Meter, customers can now check their current energy consumption themselves around the clock. This helps them to manage their own consumption better and to identify specific saving possibilities. Prepared graphically, every customer can call up their individual consumption data in a web portal with extensive additional information, such as energy saving tips. In exactly the same way measurements can be made in real time using a digital display directly in the home and current consumption can be read.

 

A trial facility is scheduled to be commissioned by 2011 at the latest. We are planning to operate a much bigger and improved installation from 2014 onwards, which is to supply CO2 for subterranean storage.

 

 

CO₂-Smart Meters on the march internationally

 

E.ON has already gained extensive experience with Smart Meter technology in numerous international projects. Soon the Group will install 1.8 million Smart Meters throughout Europe. Thus there are already a million Smart Meters in use in Sweden and 752,000 will be added to these in Spain by 2014. In Germany too, where the new generation of meters is not yet obligatory, 80 per cent of all households will be equipped with this technology by 2022. 10,000 households in the E.ON Bayern network area are already equipped with Smart Meters as part of a pilot project. This makes us a European pioneer in promising technologies.

 

First experiences show that dealing with energy consciously can reduce electricity coasts by five to ten per cent. Furthermore, "energy guzzlers" - certain household appliances, for example - can be quickly identified.

 

By participating in pilot projects E.ON customers have the opportunity to assist in further developing meter technology and actively supporting E.ON in designing new customer offers. Among others these can be more flexible tariffs that offer energy at lower prices depending on how much flexibility the customer allows their energy provider in terms of supply. After all, it does not matter to the driver of an electric vehicle what time in the night his vehicle is charged as long as it is ready to drive with a full battery in the morning.