One of the fundamental infrastructure deployments which we are about to experience is the rollout of smart metering technology for energy consumption in homes and businesses. In Ireland it is part of the National Development Plan that such domestic metering will go in tandem with metering of water and the expectation is that this will offer opportunity for load-based tariffs and optimal use of the grid, making it in effect a smart grid. But apart from more detailed billing, what will this offer the consumer? In our work we have been trialling smart metering deployments in homes in Ireland and developing applications which are designed to offer additional services to consumers. As one would expect, this include energy-related services but also applications around lifestyle analysis, ambient assisted living, and emergency detection. In the presentation I will illustrate this work and the new opportunities it is creating.