Do Smart Meters Reduce Energy Usage

Today's lecture talked about a disruptive technology where utilities usage is monitored and fed back to the user - imagine a graph on your TV, fed from the internet, which shows power usage (ammunition to use the washing line instead of the tumble dryer). What would be the further ramifications? Buying power from different suppliers depending on cost (marrying the Kelkoo model with the energy meter). Driving microgeneration technologies based on actual power sold back to the grid rather than the current hype around solar panels and wind turbines.

It's a way away but closer than we think - rather than saving energy per se, I believe it will be a co-enabler for other technologies to flourish or fall by the wayside.

If you want to read more, here's a great article from the BBC website. What do you all think?