Advanced digital meters, widely called "smart" meters, are a foundational piece of the broader "Smart Grid," which is a multibillion-dollar effort across the electric utility industry to upgrade the transmission and distribution network that delivers electricity to customers. The term "smart meters" was coined several years ago to dramatize the dramatic increase in knowledge about electricity usage that could be captured by advanced digital meters installed at customers' homes and businesses. These meters would help consumers become more educated about their electricity use, about which many know little. The meters also would create new knowledge for utilities about conditions in the electric distribution system that could lead to shorter power outages, lower costs, and better overall service.
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