Network Tasman eyes $20m plan for smart meters

Network Tasman is considering whether to invest up to $20 million to fit out homes in the Nelson region with so-called smart meters as part of a joint venture with other electricity lines companies.

Chairman Ian Kearney confirmed Network Tasman was undertaking a feasibility study into joining SmartCo, a consortium of 14 lines companies which wants to spend $200m around the country putting in electronic meters equipped with Home Area Network (HAN) radios capable of wirelessly controlling and communicating with smart home appliances.

Mr Kearney said if Network Tasman became a SmartCo shareholder, it would spend between $15m and $20m over three to four years installing the meters in its distribution area.

A decision whether to proceed would not be made until October and because it was a significant investment it would require approval from trustees of the consumer trust which owns the company, he said.

"It's fair to say that in principle we see there is a logic and advantages in the distribution company owning through to the meters and providing the metering services to the retailers."

Retailers had to replace their current outdated meters by 2014 and some had indicated they would prefer to sell them and have someone else go through the certification programme, he said.

"There are economies of scale in buying and reinstalling metres, so Network Tasman is looking at taking that meter ownership position in the Tasman region where retailers are looking at getting out of the meter business."

Current meters were based on 80-year-old technology and did not permit easy electricity management or load control, whereas new generation meters were far more efficient and were able to provide extra services, Mr Kearney said.

However, to label them smart was overstating their usefulness, he said.

"Potentially there are a number of things an electronic meter will make easier but at this point of time we don't see there is any significant demand for people who want to hook refrigerators or washing machines or dishwashers to them because most of these devices have a built-in timing system anyway."

Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright criticised electricity retailers in a 2009 report for installing "dumb" smart meters that could relay half-hourly meter readings back to retailers, but which do not have home networking capabilities built in.

While the SmartCo initiative was "very encouraging" and would allow variable pricing, the fact electricity retailers had already started installing meters without HAN radios created "a mess", she said.

More than 614,000 "advanced meters" capable of sending half-hourly meter readings back to retailers have been installed on behalf of companies, including Genesis Energy and Mercury Energy.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Bill   #7   11:20 am Aug 24 2011

Smart Meters are an invasion of Privacy, and are not there just so the Power Company's can monitor your use, everything you do in your home everything you plug into a socket is sending your personal information back via wireless built in Technology to be stored on DATA BANKS, this information can be bought and sold by others. Government,Police, and just about anyone who wants to can for a price, end up with all your personal Data, and you will have no say. To put it Bluntly, a super tracking tool. Oh and the cost to you for your power will go up big time, they can monitor everything. A sneaky big brother watching you all the time. Our Privacy Laws need to be Updated Big Time for all of our Protection, and their should be a Legally Binding Agreement put in place before anyone is landed with this Technology, that clearly states that only with the homeowners written Permission can anyone's information ever be sold or forwarded to anyone else happen. This needs to be in large print and clearly understood by all CONSUMERS. These Smart Meters are BIG BIG BUSINESS, FOR THE COMPANY'S THAT PUT THEM IN. In Australia the people hate these things. Your power usage can be controlled remotely and turned off when ever they want. And a lot more than just this. These are being sneaked in as an efficient Power Device, but that is not the Truth by a long way. See This Site========== : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8JNFr_j6kdI

viking   #6   10:19 am Aug 24 2011

Efficency means thay make more money - dont think for a second that smart doesnt mean you power bill wont go up.Here in oz increases of between 20 to 60% and complaints of radiating High RF transmissions are normal.They can turn your power off any time they choose and the only winners are the electric companies.

justice   #5   08:17 pm Aug 23 2011

You have a right to not allow SM's in your home and property. Enforce it, they may own the meter but they do not own the property they wish to install it on! YOU HAVE RIGHTS!

justice   #4   08:07 pm Aug 23 2011

#3

Exactly! I'm with you

Ricdiculous   #3   06:09 pm Aug 23 2011

And rather than letting power companies know precisely how much money they are making by the half hour period, why not take the opportunity to install a really smart meter that allows consumers to make them spin backwards, and make money by home generation through wind or solar installations. When this happens people would see the sense in installing such systems without expensive and toxic battery banks but instead share in the generation and supply of electricity when conditions are good and use the power company supply when needed. That would save the planet. $20m wasted on meters are redundant before they are even installed. Smarten up Nelson.

RobertWilliams   #2   05:10 pm Aug 23 2011

MUST-SEE 4-minute youtube video on Smart meters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8JNFr_j6kdI

unjustified   #1   02:42 pm Aug 23 2011

How about Network Tasman gives some of that money to their employees, are they not the people who keep the company running???

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