In Texas, every home in a deregulated electricity market is equipped with a smart meter. These meters are the key to understanding how your home uses electricity. They also help enable modern plans like time-of-use billing and near real-time usage tracking. But how exactly do they work, and what information do they provide?
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A smart meter is a digital device that records your electricity usage and sends that data to your utility automatically. Unlike old analog meters that had to be read in person each month, smart meters send updates every 15 minutes through a secure wireless network.
This allows your Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU) to monitor usage remotely, respond to outages faster, and avoid estimated bills. And for customers, smart meters open the door to more flexible, transparent energy plans.
Texas is one of the first states to fully roll out smart meters. Since 2013, almost every residential customer in the ERCOT region has had one installed.
Smart meters make several important things possible:
Faster outage detection and restoration
More accurate billing with no estimated reads
Daily and hourly usage insights
Eligibility for time-of-use plans like PowerShift
Easier switching between electricity providers
Better data for energy-saving decisions
You may not interact with your smart meter directly, but it is working for you behind the scenes every day.
Smart meters track your electricity usage in kilowatt-hours (kWh), just like traditional meters, but they do it far more frequently. Instead of one monthly read, smart meters track:
Total usage by day and by hour
Spikes or dips in demand
Time of day when usage is highest
Patterns over weeks and months
They do not track which appliances you are using, who is home, or any private household data. The meter only sees how much energy is flowing into your home and when.
In Texas, smart meter data is collected by your TDU and sent to the Smart Meter Texas (SMT) portal. This is a state-supported platform that stores your usage history securely and makes it available to you and to your Retail Electric Provider (REP), if you give permission.
Through Smart Meter Texas, you can:
View usage history in 15-minute intervals
Download your data in spreadsheets or charts
Set up alerts for high usage
Compare usage over time
This data can help you adjust how and when you use electricity, especially if you're on a time-of-use plan.
Visit SmartMeterTexas.com to access your data or set up an account.
Knowing how to read your smart meter data is one thing. Using it to make smarter energy choices is where the real value kicks in.
Smart meters give you access to detailed, near real-time data, broken into 15-minute intervals. This allows you to see exactly when your home uses the most electricity. With this knowledge, you can:
Log into your Smart Meter Texas account or use your provider’s usage dashboard. Look at your daily and weekly patterns. You’ll likely notice:
Spikes in the early evening when cooking or cooling ramps up
Higher usage on weekends or during school breaks
Steady overnight usage from appliances left running
Understanding these patterns helps you shift high-usage activities to times when electricity is cheaper or when your home is more energy-efficient.
If you're on a time-of-use plan like PowerShift, the data shows exactly how much electricity you're using during peak and off-peak hours. Once you see your patterns, you can make small adjustments like:
Running the dishwasher after 8 p.m. instead of during peak hours
Charging your electric vehicle overnight
Doing laundry early in the morning or late in the evening
Cooling your home a bit more before peak rates kick in
These small changes can lead to noticeable savings over time.
Frequent spikes or unexpected usage at odd hours could signal energy waste. For example:
A water heater running more often than it should
Electronics left on all night
A garage refrigerator that’s overworking in the heat
Your smart meter can’t tell you what’s causing the issue, but it gives you the clues to investigate.
By checking your usage regularly, you can test how energy-saving habits are working. Try making one change—like raising your thermostat two degrees—and see how your daily usage responds. This kind of real-world feedback helps you make smarter choices based on actual results.
When a heatwave or cold front is expected, check your usage during similar past conditions. You’ll have a better idea of how your home performs and what adjustments you can make to reduce strain on your wallet and the grid.
Some smart meter platforms and REP dashboards allow you to set alerts for high usage. You can:
Get a heads-up when your daily usage exceeds a target
Spot potential issues before your bill surprises you
Stay accountable to energy-saving goals
Smart meters are what make time-of-use (TOU) electricity plans possible. These plans charge different rates depending on when you use electricity. For example, PowerShift from Rhythm offers lower prices during off-peak hours and higher prices during peak demand times.
Without a smart meter, your provider would not be able to see when you’re using electricity, only how much. That’s why smart meters are required for time-of-use plans in Texas.
It’s natural to wonder what kind of information your smart meter is collecting. Here’s what it does not track:
It does not record video or audio
It does not know what devices or appliances you’re using
It does not share your data with third parties without your permission
It does not control your electricity service or turn power on or off without instruction
Smart meters are regulated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and must follow strict privacy and security standards.
In most parts of Texas, smart meters are required. However, there is a limited opt-out program available in certain utility service areas. If you opt out:
You may receive a non-communicating digital meter
You will be charged a monthly fee for manual readings
You may be ineligible for time-of-use plans
You won’t have access to detailed usage data through Smart Meter Texas
If having access to granular data and energy insights is important to you, keeping your smart meter is the better choice.
Smart meters are one of the biggest upgrades to the Texas power grid in the last two decades. They allow for better service, smarter plans, and real-time insights into your electricity use. If you’re interested in saving money or choosing a plan that fits your lifestyle, understanding how smart meters work is a great first step.
A smart meter is a digital device that sends usage data to your utility every 15 minutes. It provides near real-time tracking and enables advanced billing plans, unlike analog meters which required monthly readings.
No. Smart meters only track the total electricity your home uses. They do not know which devices are using power or who is home.
Yes. You can view your usage by hour or day through Smart Meter Texas at smartmetertexas.com. You’ll need to create an account and verify your service address.
Yes. Smart meters help your utility detect outages faster and provide more precise restoration updates. They send alerts when power is lost and when it comes back.
No. Time-of-use plans require a smart meter to track when you use electricity. Without one, your provider cannot offer time-based pricing.
