Japan proves smart meter effectiveness

KUALA LUMPUR: Japan targets to install 29 million smart electric meters in the next two years after getting an encouraging response following the successful installation of 17 million units in the country.
The meters helped consumers in the country to become more efficient in their energy consumption, said Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) Vice-Executive President Dr Hiroshi Okamoto.
He said the smart meters provided detailed information on electricity consumption every half an hour, enabling consumers to plan and change their usage habits to suit their needs.
Tepco is a Japanese utility company in charge of installing smart meters in the country.
Okamoto said to-date, there had not been any concerns regarding the effects from the radio waves and frequencies from the smart meters installed.
He told a press conference this after participating in the "Digitalisation of the Electricity Supply Industry and the Industry Revolution 4.0" forum at the Conference of the Electric Power Supply Industry (CEPSI) 2018 here today.
Since January this year, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), has undertaken the installation of 310,000 smart meters in Malacca in stages, before expanding it to 8.8 million users in the peninsula.
Meanwhile, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd Chief Technology Officer Paul Scanlan said the smart meter was the best way for consumers to get accurate information on their electricity consumption.
CEPSI 2018 is a three-day conference organised by TNB on behalf of the Association of Electricity Supply Industry of East Asia and the Western Pacific. — Bernama