Digested From "Renters Not Sold on Smart Meters"
CBC News (Canada)
In Canada, the Ontario government's plan to install so-called smart meters in every home by the end of the decade is moving full steam ahead, but apartment owners and residents are already quarreling over the cost of electricity. The meters record energy consumption hour by hour, sending consumers' electricity provider through special technology. The old way entailed manually reading meters that measured total electricity used over an entire billing period. Currently, most apartment residents throughout the province have their electricity bills included in monthly rents. As the government plan moves forward, though, individuals will have specific bills for specific rental units. Many residents do not believe apartment owners are reducing the rent in proportion to the expected cost of electricity. However, Greater Toronto Apartment Association President Brad Butt thinks individual meters will end up being good, energy-saving devices. He reasons, "If residents see a bill, if they know exactly what they are using on a regular basis, they're going to reduce the amount [of electricity] that they're using."
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