As part of the Climate Action Plan and the move to a low carbon electricity network, ESB Networks is replacing 2.4 million electricity meters in homes, farms and businesses across Ireland with next generation meters. The introduction of this new technology will bring benefits to customers, the environment and the economy. 
Smart meters are the next generation of electricity meters. Using digital technology and the 2G mobile phone network, the smart meter will give customers access to accurate information on their energy usage throughout the day.

By January 2021, approximately 245,000 meters had been upgraded. The programme began in counties Laois, Kildare and Cork (Bandon) in Autumn 2019 and extended to parts of Dublin, Wicklow, Louth and Meath in 2020. 
Following the revised Covid-19 restrictions announced by Government on January 6th 2021, the deployment of smart meters has temporarily ceased with immediate effect. ESB Networks will recommence smart meter replacements as soon as it is safe to do, based on Government advice. ESB Networks will contact customers to let them know when we are recommencing smart meter installations in their area. 

Smart meters will bring many benefits to customers, the environment and the economy. This includes providing customers with greater access to more accurate information on their energy usage, facilitating the development of Ireland’s growing renewable generation, smart grids and support the electrification of heat and transport. In addition, the upgrade to smart meters will significantly reduce the need for manual meter readings and estimated bills which will enable more accurate billing.
Electricity supply companies will begin to offer new smart services to customers with smart meters from early 2021, which will enable customers  to shift some of their consumption to times of the day when electricity is cheaper.
More information on the benefits can be found here.  

Smart electricity meters measure electricity consumption in the same way that any other modern digital meter does. The meter then sends this information to ESB Networks using a 2G mobile phone network. The new meter also has the capability to provide data relating to power quality on the network which will enable ESB Networks to find faults quicker and manage the network more efficiently.
More information can be found here.

ESB Networks is committed to ensuring that the National Smart Metering Programme is delivered in compliance with applicable data privacy laws and that all customer personal data is safe and secure.
To ensure customer data is secure, access is tightly controlled, and they employ multiple layers of cyber security on its IT systems and business processes.  The meter has been independently tested from a cyber security perspective and its IT systems, which are protected by multiple firewalls, are also subject to regular independent testing and review.
ESB Networks has prepared and published Data Protection Impact Assessments which outline the measures taken to protect data and can be found here.