Having a smart meter is not a requirement to adopt energy surge pricing, but it can be beneficial. Smart meters allow you to monitor your energy consumption and see when you are using the most energy. This information can help you adjust your energy usage to take advantage of lower prices during off-peak hours. However, if you do not have a smart meter, you can still adopt energy surge pricing by monitoring the time of day when you consume the most energy and shifting your energy usage to off-peak hours.