The Not So ‘Smart’ Meters.
And why we need to take control of energy usage
Not only are we in the midst of the greatest global energy crisis, but we now have another new reality for businesses trying to manage their energy costs. The electricity meter, that once considered single source of truth, that last bastion of reliable measurement… well that myth has now been shattered.
In early March, ESB networks reported a “glitch” with their smart meters where some homes had recorded displays showing single day electricity usage of up to €5,000. Now mid-April these errors are still hitting the headlines as customers receive their outlandish bills. There are reports of customers receiving auto-generated bills of over €23,000, a near impossible amount for any domestic home to use in a single billing period. Fortunately, the amounts were so extreme and ridiculously wrong that ESB networks and the suppliers had no choice but to immediately acknowledge the errors, apologise and re-fund the customers.
But what would have happened had this error been small, regular and consistent. Would we even have noticed? Would we have been notified? I doubt it. A small leak can lead to a major flood, so we need to learn how to spot and fix energy leaks quickly.
Like any good mishap, knowledge and learnings can be gleamed here and should be grasped sooner rather than later if we are to try to understand and control energy usage and reduce costs. There is no question had the smart meter glitch not been so large we would never have known about it.
With current volatile energy markets, rising prices, new time of use tariffs, it is becoming ever more crucial for businesses to take control their energy usage.
Fundamentally you need ownership and visibility of your energy use and billing amounts.
Watt Footprint have worked with over 1,000 clients to do just that. Contact the team for a complimentary 1:1 session info@wattfootprint.com