Good for the planet, bad for your pocket? Why smart meters may not live up to all the ESB buzz

Consumers are likely right to be cautious about signing up to smart tariffs, experts say

Five years into the rollout, just 11.1pc of households have activated their smart meters by signing up to a smart tariff. Photo: Getty

Gabrielle Monaghan

From the late 1940s, as the ESB began the mammoth task of bringing electricity to two million people in rural Ireland, each household had to be persuaded to allow new technology into their homes.

This included an electricity meter, which was typically installed just inside the front door and then later read by ESB staff, who often cycled for miles to reach every home.