Comment by bryanlarsen

In the 50's "too cheap to meter" was a saying that made sense because metering was expensive. Computers have made metering cheap.

Your internet/phone analogy is relevant. They are metered, but you aren't billed on usage. Metering is used to monitor for abuse.

Australia is already moving towards the system you envisage. They're going to give you free power between 10AM and 3PM. I bet there's fine print in it similar to internet/TV, some sort of abuse limit.