Do you design electronic power meters or services around them?

Electro-mechanical power meters provide several advantages over the electronic devices. They are robust and have a very reliable mechanical memory. Electro-mechanical power meters will operate for many years without maintenance. Calibration intervals could be as long as 10 years. Electronic meters could be more accurate for a short period of time. If not well designed, they could be influenced by electromagnetic radiation and power outages. This might result in an unwanted reset of the counter or displaying a completely random result. If electrolytic capacitors, back up batteries and other standard components are used in an electronic power meter, within five years problems are to be expected. Not for a single device, but cirtainly for a power company owning thousends of meters. I already heard some stories about electronic power meters that caused a fire. The only advances I see in electronic power meters is the possibility of remote reading and applications in a smart grid. The higher complexity of these devices will cause a shorter reliable lifetime. Johan