Smart meters are used wherever a utility wants to collect consumption data without visiting each meter by hand. That includes electricity distribution, and also water and gas utilities.
Different utilities, similar idea
Electricity, water and gas utilities all read meters to bill customers and understand demand. Smart metering applies the same principle across them: record consumption and communicate it. The equipment and communication choices differ, but the purpose is shared.
Different environments
Meters sit in many kinds of location — dense urban areas, spread-out rural networks, and everything in between. The layout of the meters influences how they are best connected: closely-spaced meters may suit short-range radio that relays between devices, while spread-out meters may suit cellular connections that reach each meter directly.
How AmbiPower supports these settings
AmbiPower’s products cover more than one situation: a cellular module for reading meters remotely, and a mobile app for reading meters over their optical port where a technician visits. This lets a utility match the approach to the site.
Frequently asked questions
Are smart meters only for electricity?
No. Electricity, water and gas utilities all use meters, and smart metering can apply to each of them.
Where are smart meters used?
Across electricity, water and gas utilities, and in different environments — from dense urban clusters of meters to dispersed rural or industrial sites — which is part of why more than one communication technology exists.
Does the environment change how smart meters connect?
Yes. Dense clusters of meters often suit RF-mesh networks where meters relay for one another, while dispersed meters often suit cellular. The setting shapes which communication technology fits best.
Do water and gas meters use the same approach as electricity meters?
The idea is the same — record consumption and report it electronically — though the meters and communication options differ. Smart metering applies to electricity, water and gas alike.
How does AmbiPower support different settings?
AmbiPower’s products read meters over cellular and over the optical port, and bring field data back over LAN or cellular, so a utility can match the approach to its environment.
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