One of modern life’s most durable features—fixed-price electricity—is slowly being pushed to the sidelines, a creeping change that will influence such things as what time millions of Americans cook dinner and what appliances they buy.
Driving the change is the rollout of so-called smart meters, which can transmit data on how much power is being used at any given time. That gives utilities the ability to charge more for electricity at peak times and less during lulls. Spreading out electricity consumption more evenly across the day leads to more efficient use of power plants and lower emissions.
Consumers have mixed feelings, too. Some say it feels coercive. Others say it is needed to cut down on the emission of greenhouse gases.
Full story: Here Come the ‘Smart’ Meters – WSJ.com