Is automated meter Reading accurate?

AMR or automated meter reading, is the system that the majority of public utilities are venturing towards to gather their customers billing information. However, is this new system accurate and what are the fail rates or no response rates? While their are quite the advantages of the meter reader not having to enter the yard to read the meter anymore, do customers want their monthly bill hinged on a computer system?

Here is a diagram of one AMR setup. I don't know about you bu their is a lot of links in that hub. The more links the better chance of one not working. The majority of AMR projects are functioning fine at the moment with small scale deployment. However, the system hasn't been stress tested under any severe type circumstances. Severe storms and hurricanes, tornadoes could also pose quite a problem for any AMR system

The centralized ECSS server presents a highly important information based structural node.   Data security at this nexus is obviously critical.   Any vulnarabilities in that system have the potential to be exploited by malicious hackers or as a form of information warfare.  

A spokesman for a regional power company stated that he was unable to comment on security related matters, involving automated meter reading systems.

Privacy concerns

Other expressed concerns include the potential to be able to use very sophisticated monitoring of peoples behavior, presence activities and even physical location from a remote distance.  The ubiquity of energy reading technologies and the expected increase in smart devices with built in processors and wireless rfid tags is likely to render any vestiges of real privacy obsolete in the very near future.