Mayor Tony Mooney and Ergon Energy CEO Tony Bellas with the smart meter which will be installed In Magnetic Island homes.

This is the device that will eventually wipe hundreds of dollars off your electricity bill. It even has the power to make teenagers energy conscious. It is the smart meter, and during Townsville's seven-year Solar City trial, 2500 of them will be carefully monitoring in selected homes and businesses across the twin cities. The meters give energy customers an indication of how much energy they are consuming what it's costing them and what their bill is. Combined with solar panels, Ergon Energy is hoping the total amount Townsville residents will be paying in the future for their power will be very low.

"They can work out which of their appliances are operating , drawing power at what rate and what things they need to turn on or turn off or when to use their appliance, their pool pump and lower the cost of their energy,'' said Ergon Energy CEO Tony Bellas. “It's a great outcome for individual households”.

The state-of-the-art technology will not only provide information for customers, it will also give Ergon Energy information about their customers' usage. At a customer's request they will also be able to change the energy flows to the household.

An office building in Townsville's CBD is earmarked to receive solar and smart meter technology. Mr. Belles said it could revolutionise a company's energy consumption. “There'll be a building in the CBD that will be given access not only to solar panels, but will be also made energy efficient'' he said "That will involve the lighting systems, the watering systems, the insulation to keep cool air in and warm air out. It's a very broad initiative in relation to a CBD building"

Federal minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, Ian Macfarlane, has had a smart meter in his Toowoomba home for 12 months. He said his entire family had become more energy conscious. 'When the one in my home lights up , even my daughter reacts and goes around the house actually turning things off," he said. "We actually waste about 10 per cent of our electricity cost on standby power and phone chargers that are still switched on and plugged into the wall”.

(Source: Townsville Bulletin, Wednesday, September 27, 2006)