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7 August 2007 - As the UK government launched its consultation on metering and billing, the country's energy minister, Malcolm Wicks, stated that smart meters in every home and business will play a key part in reducing the UK's carbon footprint and cutting energy bills.
The consultation looks at how to implement the government's proposals to cut energy use through the rollout of state-of-the-art smart meters, and real-time visual display units to households and businesses.
Real-time visual display units can tell people how much energy they are using, and how much it is costing when individual appliances are turned on. Smart meters allow energy suppliers to communicate directly with their customers, removing the need for meter readings and providing more accurate bills with no estimates.
Smart meters tell consumers about their energy use either through linked real-time display units or in other ways, such as through the Internet or even through digital TV.
The proposals on which the government is consulting include providing more enhanced information on bills to help people save energy - including historical comparisons of their energy use; for electricity suppliers to provide a real-time visual display unit to any new meters fitted from 2008, and to all households that request them between 2008/10; and for gas and electricity suppliers to install smart meters to all but the smallest businesses over the next five years.
The consultation will also seek views on the government's expectation that, over the next 10 years, all gas and electricity customers will be given smart meters with visual displays.
"Cutting carbon emissions is one of the greatest challenges we face. Smart meters provide the chance for each one of us to play our part, providing better information and more accurate billing. It is vital that we make best use of this emerging technology that will not only help cut our energy use but reduce our bills too," Mr Wicks commented.
The consultation follows the recent announcement of energy-saving trials involving 40 000 households. The trials include 15 000 households having smart meters installed and 8000 more receiving clip-on visual displays that can be used with their existing meters. The other households in the trial are testing new ways of receiving information to help them cut their energy use.
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