OnStream has developed a smart meter which can talk to electrical appliances that have similar technology through Bluetooth style wireless technology, reports The Times Online.
OnStream is a National Grid business which supplies meters and meter reading services to energy suppliers. They have developed a smart meter which will be able to remotely turn on your washing machine, tumble dryer and basically help you to manage your electricity usage.
Being able to turn electrical appliances on and off remotely means people can make better use of electricity by using cheaper “interruptible” tariffs, meaning they can use their electronic equipment more economically. The National Grid says the smart meter will change the way we use electricity and energy in general.
The chief executive of National Grid, Steve Holliday, said “We believe that this meter is what the industry has been waiting for”. Initially National Grid had been concerned that energy companies were introducing smart meters too quickly and that the new meters wouldn’t be able to talk to the smart grid but the OnStream meter is different. Mr Holliday said the OnStream equipment was “future-proof”.
The new OnStream meter will be tested this summer. It has a touchscreen display which will show energy consumption in a more useful way than some other meters and it can even send updates to a smartphone or be read from the internet.
The OnStream meter can be used on any mobile network and the gas meter is the first to be standalone. This means that it doesn’t have to be linked to a smart electricity meter. Previously this had meant that it wasn’t possible to receive gas from one supplier and electricity from another.
The OnStream smart meter trial will last for 6 months. I’m sure this won’t be the last we here about the OnStream smart meter.
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Source: The Times Online
