Dive Summary:

• Favorable attitudes about the smart meter are on the rise, particularly among customers with graduate degrees, a new survey by Navigant Research finds.
• In 2012, 41% of customers expressed a “favorable” or “very favorable” attitude toward smart meters and the smart grid, marking a 10% increase from 2011.
• Nearly half of respondents with graduate degrees liked the idea of a smart grid. But only 26% of respondents with only a high school degree favored the smart meter. More than 45% of people earning at least $75,000 a year have positive opinions about smart grids and smart meters.

From the press release:
"Less than ten percent of the respondents have an unfavorable opinion of smart grids and smart meters, which is an encouraging sign for utilities and policymakers," says Neil Strother, senior research analyst with Navigant Research. "However, utilities still have a long way to go in persuading a majority of their customers that they should approach these technologies with enthusiasm."