Irish utility calls for "Prudent" approach towards investment for smart meters

Irish electric utility ESB has reportedly said that it did not know if the Government's €1 billion smart metering proposals would lead to the desired level of savings.

Underlining that the installation of smart meters in every home in the country has been a policy cornerstone of Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan since he took up office last year, irishtimes.com mentioned that the process is now being explored by the ESB. According to the report, senior executives of the ESB indicated publicly for the first time that the "technology was not yet fully proven and that the case had not yet been made that such a substantial investment would result in commensurate savings".

ESB chief executive Padraig McManus said that the utility needed to take a prudent approach before making such a huge investment. That is why smart meters were being piloted over 18 months.

It was in September this year when the Minister had launched the National Smart Meter plan. Over 60,000 ESB customers were to receive a letter inviting them to take part in the first phase of the national roll-out of smart meters. Up to 21,000 customers were to get a smart meter installed in their home for free in order to participate in a behavioural and technology trial to inform the national rollout. The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) has been charged with leading the implementation of the project