The introduction of advanced or "smart" electricity meters in recent times has not been without controversy with a view from some groups that the meters are not delivering benefits to electricity customers.

However as Simon Clarke, chief executive of Christchurch-based smart meter developer Arc Innovations explains, electricity customers are enjoying benefits from advanced meters right now, with more yet to come. 

About six months ago, State-owned generator and retailer Meridian Energy and its fully-owned subsidiary Arc Innovations finished a $50 million installation of smart meters in about 110,000 Canterbury homes and businesses.

There has been a great deal of comment about the "smartness" or otherwise of the new meters, much of it uninformed, and most of it inaccurate. That is unfortunate.

The reality is that customers are already receiving a number of benefits, and the roll-out has put in place a platform for new electricity products and services capable of delivering greater benefits in the years to come.

As one example of an immediate benefit, customers' privacy is protected and they can feel more comfortable in the knowledge that meter readers don't need to have keys for their property, which removes security concerns.

The old-style meters needed the readers to have access to homes which wasn't always possible, so some customers went months receiving only estimated bills and often got a nasty surprise when they got the bill based on actual readings.

Our meters transmit the power consumption data without anyone setting foot on a property, so   the meters can be read accurately every month and bills are based on actual consumption. That makes managing the family budget a whole lot easier.

In addition, it's now much easier for customers to move house as there is no need for the electricity retailer to visit the home to take a final read. 

Advanced meters allow customers to access their usage information online and customers with advanced meters can change pricing plans much more easily than with old style meters. 

As Ari Sargent, Chief Executive of on-line retailer Powershop has observed, some customers are using the combination of advanced meters and the internet to make savings.