In efforts to encourage energy efficiency amongst consumers, agencies in Singapore to launch smart meter trial for electricity, water and gas, inviting developers to propose designs for a new generation of conservation-minded smart meters. A government effort, the Energy Market Authority (AMA) and several partnering agencies are seeking to help consumers be more efficient in their energy consumption, curbing usage rates on the national level. These meters are intended to let the consumer view expedient information about their utility consumption, connecting to a user’s smart phone. While this kind of technology has been around for a while and has been instated into households in limited markets, the Singapore government is aiming at a broader installation, dreaming to make a permanent dent in the way humans engage with their resources and the environment.
Suitable for Refreshers:
Most electricity, gas and water meters in use today are cumulative meters, which are read bi-monthly by a technician that visits in person, meaning consumers often lack fresh information about their utility intake. By allowing consumption data to be streamed more regularly and accessibly to a user’s smart phone, the government hopes to encourage greater awareness and smarter consumption patterns on the individual scale. With the conceptualized trial intending to stream this information to an application downloadable onto your phone, consumers would be able to tweak their habits every time they consume. This can have the effect of both reducing utility bills and saving the Earth’s resources, as well as bringing all major forms of utilities to one consolidated application.
Mass Regulation:
Smart meters can also be a way for authorities to limit resource use on the individual scale. Once a user has used a certain amount of water or electricity, they may receive a notification reminding them to consume a certain resource more sparingly or risk an overage charge. In the reverse, companies may offer benefits, prizes or promotions for consumers who stay below a usage threshold for a designated period. If several people share a utility bill each person could log onto the app separately, claiming usages for showers or laundry, maintaining a level of accountability for roommates who fancy an extended shower session.
A Green-Thinking Government:
Singapore officials are hoping to combine these efforts in utility limitation with educational initiatives that seek to motivate citizens to save energy as much as possible and to minimize their impact in all areas of life. They hope to deploy these ground-breaking smart meters in homes nationwide, but only after they test the waters. If the smart meters prove to be a success, the Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore expressed his intention to introduce them to the global market. With cumulative meters being the dominant technology used in many countries, this innovation could mean Smart meters may soon be in homes across the globe, reducing resource use in every household in every nation. If small innovations like smart meters can be made a fixture of individual lives on the large scale, we can move toward more sustainable existences and comprehensive environmental preservation efforts.