Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 26: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the installation of pilot scheme smart electronic meters; when same will be rolled out to every home as per the programme for Government; the full cost of the pilot scheme and the estimated cost of the roll out to every home; the geographic locations of the pilot scheme; if this will facilitate the introduction of a micro generation strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35515/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The rollout of the national Smart Metering Programme is progressing in line with the commitment in the Government's Energy Policy Framework and in the 2007 Programme for Government. The Smart Metering Programme is a central component of the strategy to radically enhance management of energy demand and to deliver greater energy efficiency through the use of cutting-edge technology. Smart Metering is also increasingly emerging at European Union level as a critical dimension of enhancing energy efficiency.

This is a highly complex project which covers both electricity and gas. The pilot phase of the programme, which encompasses two strands, technology and customer behaviour, is now underway. Technology trials will test a number of advanced metering systems and their associated IT and communications infrastructure. Customer behaviour trials are determining the potential of smart meters to achieve measurable change in consumer behaviour. The trials are essential to ensure that the optimum and most cost effective technology and systems are identified for the implementation phase.

The electricity element of the pilot phase is expected to be completed at the end of December 2010. It is important to have a trial that captures seasonal changes in usage for peak demand management purposes. The outcome should be a fully informed decision on the most suitable model of smart meter/IT system, tariffing structure, communications system and demand stimuli. The model must have the proven capability to deliver the anticipated benefits of smart metering, taking account of the specifics of the Irish energy system. The electricity technology trial will examine metering functionality and supporting information and communications systems. Installation of up to 8,000 meters has commenced for technology testing in Limerick/Ennis, Cork City/Bandon and South Dublin/Wicklow. Over 6,000 participants for the electricity customer behaviour trial have been selected to ensure that the sample is representative of Ireland's electricity consumers both in terms of usage profiles and geographical spread. Installation of 6,363 meters for this trial has been completed.

The specifications of these metering systems will allow the testing of a range of functions to deliver enhanced demand management. These include interval metering reading, time of use tariffing and the use of In Home Display devices. They will also provide reliable quality data on actual energy use which will lead to significantly better services to consumers in areas such as, improved fault monitoring and outage recording, power quality monitoring, reduced theft and losses and improved network planning.

The gas element of the pilot phase is also moving ahead. Installation of over 1,900 meters for the Customer Behaviour Trial is on schedule for completion by end November. A further 750 meters will be installed to facilitate the Gas Technology Trials. The period for the customer behaviour and technology gas trials will begin in June 2010 and will continue until May 2011.

The smart metering pilot is proceeding in parallel with the current microgeneration initiative and there are important links between the two. The data gathered from the interval meters being used in the microgeneration scheme will provide vital information on the import and export of electricity, which will feed into the analysis of electricity use being carried out in the electricity element of the smart metering pilot. In turn, the findings of the smart metering pilot will also inform the development of a long term microgeneration strategy.

The present estimated cost of the pilot is €34.9m. This comprises €29.9m for the electricity element and €5m for the gas element. The cost of a national roll out will be determined on foot of the results of the pilot programme and decisions taken on the optimum type of cost effective smart metering system that will deliver the level of functionality required in an Irish market. A key component of the pilot phase is the associated cost benefit analysis, which will critically inform future decisions. An interim analysis will be completed next year with the final analysis, to include the results of the gas trials, to be completed by mid 2011.

Question No. 27 answered with Question No. 12.