degggendorf t1_jeekere wrote on March 31, 2023 at 1:22 PM

Reply to comment by whatnodeaddogwilleat in Meter replacement carries $200M shock: Rhode Island Energy’s advanced metering proposal ‘costs would be borne by ratepayers’ by york100

> I can't think of a single meter-based choice I've made.

So if you're unconcerned with monitoring or reducing your energy usage, the smart meter might be of limited use to you.

But for other people, it would be like an energy metering smart plug, but for the whole house. Could help monitor (and reduce) your energy consumption in real time, rather than being surprised at the end of the month by some erratic usage.

Unless someone is out there with a stopwatch timing their meter spinning, in which case this wouldn't add any functionality.

iandavid t1_jefwtgl wrote on March 31, 2023 at 6:44 PM

This is correct. As someone who currently monitors my meter in real-time using rtlamr2mqtt, I can vouch for the benefits of knowing your energy usage in real-time. I had a rooftop solar array installed recently, and I use real-time monitoring to see whether I’m generating excess energy, which helps me know when the best time is to run my clothes dryer or charge my car. It absolutely helps people make better choices around their energy usage, and I think it’s something everyone would benefit from if it was more easily accessible.

Professional-Ask-630 t1_jeg90p7 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 8:06 PM

why does anyone need a meter app to understand how to reduce their energy usage? "oh golly gee, you wouldn't believe it but having a Samsung Smart fridge, TV's on , and a million devices plugged into my outlets at all time made my electric bill go up. " it should be pretty common sense on how to lower your energy consumption. maybe deal with the heat a little bit instead of running constant ac, dress a little more cozy inside in for the winter, take a shorter shower that's not scalding hot.

keevisgoat t1_jegedr5 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 8:41 PM

It maybe we make some nuclear plants in the middle of nowhere and forget about this

degggendorf t1_jeh09t6 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 11:19 PM

Those are perfect examples. How much does your TV cost to run? How much more (or less) are you spending with a "smart" fridge over a "dumb" one? What is the value of that vampire current when everything is "off"? Literally, tell me. Dollars and cents. How much is it for you? How much less will you spend if you set the AC to 76 instead of 74? How much does a shower cost per minute? How much do you save taking a "hot" shower instead of a "scalding hot" shower?