The Social Dimensions of Smart Meters in the United States: Demographics, Privacy, and Technology Readiness

Energy consumers have been introduced to numerous technologies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the efficiency of electrical systems. The introduction of smart meters into the electrical grid could increase energy efficiency, decrease electrical costs for consumers, and potentially contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the benefits of this technology, smart meters have sparked debate and concern among some energy consumers. In this paper, we examine the publics’ general level of support for smart meter technologies, and a set of variables that may correlate with support for installing smart meters in people’s homes. Specifically, we examine whether demographic variables, issues tied to privacy (e.g., privacy concerns and privacy violation), social norms (e.g., injunctive and descriptive norms), and concepts from the technology readiness index (e.g., discomfort with or excitement about new technologies) correlate with support for smart meters. To examine these issues, we analyzed a quota sample of 1035 people living in the U.S. Participants were from 17 states with high rates of smart meter installation. Our results suggest that people’s perceptions and experiences with privacy violations are associated with levels of support for smart meter installation for people in our sample. In addition, descriptive social norms and technology readiness factors were associated with support for smart meter installation.