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Utility companies across the United States are embracing an advanced utility technology known as smart meters. Like traditional meters, the primary purpose of these monitoring devices is to track households’ and businesses’ energy consumption. But unlike traditional meters, smart meters enable two-way communication between the electronic device and utility company in near real-time.
In the past, utilities could only view aggregate consumption by physically going out to a meter once a month to view and record how much energy had been used. But now, with these new electronic devices, utilities can track households’ energy consumption patterns almost instantaneously.
While seemingly harmless from the outside, the implications of smart meters may be huge and detrimental for consumers in multiple ways. After just a few years of use, many consumers have experienced a negative side to these devices, including adverse impacts to their health, privacy, and even their utility bill.