Smart meter roll out consultation

The Government has published plans for all homes in Britain to have smart meters installed by 2020. A consultation has been launched presenting the different delivery options for rolling out smart electricity and gas meters across the country. It also considers how the meters will work in practice and what information they should provide. The deadline for responses is 3rd August 2009.

The Government’s preferred option is for gas and electricity suppliers to be responsible for the provision, installation and ongoing management of smart meters. A single national communications provider would co-ordinate communication to and from the devices. Other options include a competitive model, where energy suppliers would be responsible for everything, and a fully-centralised model, where regional franchises would install and maintain the meters and communications would be managed centrally.

Smart meters are an important step towards the introduction of smart grids in the future. They should also enable suppliers to offer more tariffs, such as 'time-of-use' tariffs, to households. While the introduction of smart energy meters in all British homes is welcomed, caution must be applied when estimating how much energy their use will save. Better information about gas and electricity use can help consumers reduce their bills, but is most useful when combined with other energy saving advice and support.