Tom Adams
Toronto Star
July 8, 2002

Re: No incentive to conserve energy, Editorial, July 4.

Kudos to the Star for speaking up in favour of more intelligent electricity meters. Smart meters capable of keeping up with continuously changing spot prices are the front line of customer protection in Ontario’s new electricity market.

Some utilities are making great strides upgrading to smart meters. One leader is Milton Hydro, where all customers using more than 100 kilowatts have been upgraded.

Before ordering utilities to upgrade meters, we should recognize that with existing technology the extra cost of smart meters over conventional meters will not be justified for every customer.

Substantial institutional barriers to smart meters exist. Measurement Canada, the federal meter regulator, imposes far more cumbersome rules on smart meters than on the obsolete ones households now use.

The Ontario Energy Board’s cost recovery rules for distribution utilities also create additional hurdles for utilities and customers seeking to upgrade meters.

Consumers need a public agency, like the Ministry of Energy or the Independent Electricity Market Operator, to champion the cause of smart meters and clear away the institutional barriers impeding modernization.

Tom Adams
Executive Director, Energy Probe
Toronto