It is not uncommon for people hearing about a smart meter to assume there is some secret or hidden purpose to these devices. In fact, in the earlier deployment of this technology, there were several conspiracy theories online about the meters. This included the myth the meters were transmitting sensitive information to a remote water meter reading device.
While the new technology did have glitches when it was first introduced in the late 1970s, even the internet at the time was a highly suspect technology for most people. With increased security and user comfort with the technology, these initial myths and misperceptions were quickly revealed to be false.
Today, most people understand the general process of how data is transferred from a smart meter to a remote water meter reading device. To provide a clear explanation, here is an overview of the technology and why it is helpful in saving money.
Communication
Each home, or each apartment or condo, has its own smart meter installed. This measures the flow of water into the home or unit. Depending on the system, the communication between the smart meter and the remote water meter reading device may be one-way or two-way. Most systems use one-way transmission of data from the meter to the local device.
One-way communication allows the smart meter to transmit information about water usage on regular set schedules. The meter does not transmit any identifying information about locations or billing; rather it is assigned a specific meter identification which is transmitted with the reading.
A local device captures this information and then transmits it securely to the utility billing company. The meters do not communicate with other electronic devices, WiFi systems or other forms of technology in the local area or when transmitting to the utility company from the neighborhood device.