Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 February 2024
169. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for a breakdown of the number of smart metres installed in each county, in tabular form; the number of these that are active; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6296/24]
View answerThe National Smart Metering Programme will roll out and install 2.1 million meters by 2025 and by doing so make available new products and services to energy consumers. It is co-ordinated by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) with ESB Networks (ESBN) delivering the electricity meter rollout on the ground. The meter rollout is taking place on a phased basis, with approximately 40,000 meters installed monthly. The total number of smart meters installed at present is just over 1.6 million.
ESBN tracks the progress of the rollout across its 34 planner groups nationwide. The rollout started in five planner groups at the end of 2019, with the last planner group starting in February 2023 such that smart exchanges are now happening nationally. The following is the progress of the rollout, as of 2nd February 2024:
According to ESBN data, approximately 97% of households with smart meters have had no estimated bills as a result of daily register reads transmitted by their meters since February 2021. Additionally, these households can now access their smart meter interval data via their Networks Account and the My Energy Consumption option on the ESBN portal. This allows smart meter customers to better understand their electricity demand profile and be in a position to assess opportunities to reduce their use, move their use to off-peak periods, or compare tariff options from other Suppliers.
