This next bit is a rant and slightly irrelevant.
In Australia, the whole question of so called 'smart meters' has been bogged down in political intrigue and obsession with carbon dioxide and windfarms. DEBEs' post #12 sums up the problem. Electricity costs of 31 c/kWhr are 10 times what they were 10 years ago and the problem will only get worse in Australia. Where DEBE lives in South Australia, the pollies have committed to having 40% of the states energy generated by windfarms but what they dont tell anyone is that the state is totally dependent on its next door state of Victoria to supply its shortfall from the massive brown coal deposits in Eastern Victoria. Last month, DEBEs' state of South Australia went without electricity for over 2 days I think, because the main inter connect with its life saving power source in Victoria was out of action. VERY strong winds caused the shutdown of the windfarms and there was pylon damage in a part of the state.
I currently spend around $650 AUD on electricity per quarter, and solar is interesting but I would only do it if I had my own battery supply and used the solar for dedicated high usage items in the house like the refrigeration. 30% of my bill is a 'supply charge' which is the cost of being connected to the grid.
Sorry for the rant, but home based solar panels are good for a holiday house where you dont use any electricity but just generate it. When the government incentives first became available, people were getting 60c/kwhr for their solar, and the proponents got killed in the rush, but of course, the scheme was short lived.