As a public works director and city engineer in a past life, we changed out all of the analog meters to what is known as ARM (Automatic Radio Meter) meters. They use low level radio frequency to transmit the meter usage to a laptop in the utility truck. What used to take 6 meter readers to do now only takes one, and also allows the “meter reader” to perform the normal daily assignment while the laptop passively collects the data.
I like to consider myself an anti-bureaucracy bureaucrat and have always looked for ways to make government operation more efficient. I know there are a lot of folks on FR who think any gubmint employees are a waste, but there are some of us that are committed to improve the system.
I can state for a fact that my system was in no way connected to any UN/NSA/Smart Grid, surveillance network!
Thank you Shotgun. This really is a simple convenience for the water authority and the consumer/homeowner to make it easier to read the meter. The whole “turn off power to your A/C on a hot afternoon” is a different issue. Even then, I’ve had a smart (electric) meter for several years and have yet to see an occasion when it was employed.
TC