Abstract

This paper bridges two important topics in contemporary energy social science: technological transitions to more sustainable infrastructures and energy democracy. I present a conceptual framework that discusses the smart meter as a key enabling element of both. The goal is to elucidate the importance that users assign to democracy and technical features in the process of implementing smart meter policy. I offer a case study based on newspaper articles and legislative sessions that outline user opposition to a smart meter policy in Chile between March and August 2019. The results show the importance of being transparent about technical features and offering opportunities for users to participate in discussions as part of the process of introducing smart meters. The case also highlights the tangibility of meters -the essential requirement that users must allow these devices to be placed inside of their homes- as enacting political agency. Although it cannot be assumed that users will become actively involved in decisions once smart meters are installed, future studies should explore whether energy democracy can be experienced by users through these apparatuses on a more permanent basis.