Smart metering in Germany - results of providing feedback information in a field trial

In this paper, we present the first results from a field study on smart metering in Germany, focusing on the effects of providing feedback information on average electricity consumption. Econometric analyses are applied using a cross section of observations for about 600 households served by eight utilities. About 2/3 of these households received feedback on their electricity consumption together with information about electricity saving measures (pilot group). The remaining households served as a control group. To evaluate the impact of feedback in-formation, we econometrically estimated household electricity consumption. Explanatory variables include a wide range of socio-economic factors (income, education, age, household size, age composition, etc.) as well as the household appliance stock (large appliances, boiler, air conditioner, TV, computer, etc. ...). The results suggest that the feedback provided under the smart metering pro-gramme results in electricity savings of around 5%.