Abstract
Increasing the efficiency of electricity transmission is nearing the top of the agenda in many countries around the world. Turkey, the world’s most newly industrialized country, is no different. Modernizing the current transmission grids to smart grids (SG) and the national rollout of smart meters (SM), are some of the measures taken by the government to meet the growing demand for electricity. Consumer acceptance and engagement are among the most important elements for the success of SG and SM, however, there have not been much studies done among Turkish electricity consumers. This purpose of this study is to fill this void, by detailing the attitudes, awareness and expectations among Turkish citizens regarding SM and listing recommendations for energy companies based on the findings. Through an online questionnaire, responses from 504 social media users were collected and analyzed. Results show that the consumers are open towards the acceptance of SM, but there is a need to raise awareness and knowledge through proper communication channels. The study has also revealed that a range of conventional and digital channels need to be actively used in order to enhance consumer willingness to accept SM. Increasing social interactions regarding SM is one of the key recommendations detailed by the authors.
Highlights
Nowadays, in most countries, a great effort is being made to increase the efficiency of electricity generation, transmission and consumption
We focus on two following research questions: (1) how does the knowledge about SM relate to the consumers’ attributes, their preferences and fears and willingness to accept/install SM; (2) what are the communication channels used by consumers in order to learn about the energy market and smart meters
The acceptance starts with some level of awareness and knowledge
Summary
In most countries, a great effort is being made to increase the efficiency of electricity generation, transmission and consumption. Governments have proposed some national strategies, legislation and described various ways to achieve the ambitious goals of CO2 reduction, increasing green energy and energy efficiency These actions are motivated, by political (fulfillment of obligations e.g., Paris Climate Agreement) or economic incentives (i.e., lower costs), and by environmental and social ones. Because of the negative impact of energy intensive industries and energy consumption on climate change, new technologies and a higher level of awareness among people is needed. The achievement of such goals starts with the national exchange programs of traditional electricity meters into smart ones, allowing for better communication between producers, distributors, sellers and consumers [1,2,3,4]. From the consumers point of view, access to such information, if combined with varied electricity prices
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