Jesus, get off your donkies and start walking will you!
Smart metering was introduced as a way to determine the carbon footprint of the nation and ideally help people (see uneducated masses) understand the quantity of fuel they waste at a level they will understand. It part of the carbon pledge that the G20 Summit introduced back in 2006 (I think, it was a long time ago).
Initially the government said to suppliers this is what we want, show us how its done, this started the SMETS1 supplier owned and operated fiasco up until 2018 when SMETS2 was given full launch (targeted launch started in 2016).
The data coming back from SMETS2 installations has provided a vast amount of usage statistics (optional reporting times back to the government of every 30min, Hour, Day, Week or Month, Month being the default unless you the customer specify otherwise, although most suppliers suggest 30min reading as the most common). The stats show nothing other than time of day and usage, no location data no customer info just readings and time. Due to the way the network is designed the meter when reporting back sends and identifier (called a Premise ID) and the meter readings. The premise ID carries no location data the DCC (data handling part of the network) does not know where that property is, just that it is reporting readings, your supplier then says to the DCC this Premise ID is our customer can we have the readings please, Premise ID is then used to link your account to the data. The DCC can generate statistics from the usage graphs per Premise ID. What they cannot do it pinpoint a property in a particular street and say "ooh that house is using far too much...." and so on and the have no idea where that property is!
Smart metering is nothing more than natural progression of an ever growing demand network, Smart system have been in use for manufacturing (thing pressure regulation, flow and demand monitoring of liquids and so on) for nearly 30 years. Heck Smart meters have existed since the mid 80s within big business, they are far from a new thing, have a search for AMR meters they have been around since the late 60's.
