Costs and benefits of a national rollout of Smart Meters.

The Phase 2 Report of the Ministerial Council on Energy’s cost-benefit analysis of a national rollout of Smart Meters was released in March 2008. In its response, PIAC endorses the Report’s recommendation that a rollout should be led by distribution businesses and that greater consumer protections be implemented before a rollout takes place.However, PIAC raises its concern that not all jurisdictions will benefit from a mandated rollout; that there are limited environmental benefits flowing from a smart meter rollout; and that the Report’s cost estimates may not be accurate and will need further review. For these reasons, PIAC recommended that the most appropriate and consumer beneficial rollout of smart meters would be one done as a distribution business initiative rather than a national mandated rollout.’