You get meters that can read and transmit data, they can even be switched on and off. Eskom are using them on remote farms and solar plants for metering usage and supply.
Our town council uses smart meters, also known as quadrant meters. When connected to a Wi-Fi antenna, you can monitor these meters.

I think the technology is there but while you have people in an office making decisions based on budgets and the fact that they had been reading meters by hand for decades, why change things?