The primary reason for installing a smart grid is so you can read the meters without sending guys around in trucks to do the job every month. And as long as you’re gathering the data, why not gather it real time, rather than once a month?
Her in Vermont, our electric cooperative is putting in smart meters, but NOT wireless, because their hippie customers would be up in arms if they did that, fearful that all that wireless stuff would rot their brains. (And who knows, maybe it would?)
Not really much different from having a cash machine to replace a teller.
Primary purpose, to save money. Secondary purpose, to give you a detailed picture of your electric use.
Oh, and also, in case of a power failure, it helps them to locate where the problem is a lot faster.