Texas energy deregulation have provided people the power to choose their Texas electricity options. This includes choosing retail electric providers that are now offering smart meters to replace the old and outdated electric meters their homes and businesses used to have. Many states are considering the use of smart meters and are mandating regulations for their deployment in the next five years. Texas is at the forefront of this new wave for bright and greener future – giving residents the tools right at their own disposal to combat higher electricity bills with more energy-efficient homes.

What are Smart Meters?

Smart meters are state-of-the-art electric meters that provide users with accurate information about the amount of Texas electricity they are using in real time. Smart meters will replace the old practice of home visits from meter readers from the Texas electric companies and the estimated bills people receive each month.

Users can monitor their Texas electricity usage and compare these readings from the previous day, giving them better control, management and informed decisions of how they use energy in their homes. Users can also gain information about their energy usage over the internet, their cell phones or through hand-held display devices. The Texas electric company also makes use of this information to charge users based on the exact energy consumption.

What are the Features and Benefits of Smart Meters?

The following describes some of the features and benefits that consumers can gain with their use of smart meters.

* Users can have real-time information about their Texas electricity usage. There is no need to wait for their next bill to arrive to get this information. Having this information can help them plan their energy usage for the next days giving them better control of their consumption.

* Information about their Texas electricity usage can be accessed through use friendly interfaces much like the way they get information from their mobile phones or tablet PCs. Users can check information and save them right from their own kitchens or their home offices.

* Real time energy information will give users an insight as to which appliances in their homes consume the most Texas electricity at any particular time, giving them better decisions on which to use during peak times resulting in a more energy-efficient home.

* Retail electric companies can now reward clients with incentives and rewards based on how energy-efficient a home is during peak hours.

* Energy-efficient homes results in significant reductions in carbon emissions, giving users an active part of protecting the environment from climate change.

* Consumers with their own renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind generators can use smart meters as basis for selling energy back to the Texas electric company – resulting in further reduction of carbon emissions.