Media statement
For immediate release
26 June 2009

Power companies are keeping consumers in the dark with dumb meters

Smart meters are the best way to give consumers control over their electricity consumption and stop power companies dictating to them, according to electricity consumer lobby group REFIT-NZ.

“It is the right of every consumer to know what their power consumption is and so how much it is costing them at any point in the day rather than waiting two months for a bill,” said REFIT-NZ Chairperson, Charmaine Watts “Smart meters give consumers power to make decisions here and now and not when they get their outdated power bill. It is absolutely arrogant of the power companies to say consumers are not ready – the rest of the world is doing it now. Power companies just don’t want consumers reducing demand because it will mean lower profits.

“Smart meters not only offer amazing potential to reduce electricity demand, they also mean we wont have to build new power plants, so reducing carbon emissions and helping our environment.

“Smart meters are also the mechanism you need to allow households, businesses and communities to generate their own power and sell surplus power back to the national electricity grid.

More and more consumers around the world are doing just that. But it clearly needs the Government to act now and force power companies to install appropriate meters. Why wait after they roll-out these dumb meters?

“You can understand why power companies are resisting this. They don’t want consumers having control. Really, consumers should own the meters outright.

”It is every consumer’s right to be able to make choices about power usage, management and supply in their homes”, concluded Ms Watts.

ENDS

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