Manufacturers Elster, Landis+Gyr and Secure have signed a deal to reach a common standard for cheap energy smart meters across the UK.
It is hoped that the deal will expedite the expansion of gas and electricity smart meters throughout the UK.
Elster, Landis+Gyr and Secure will collaborate to develop a roadmap for interchangeable and interoperable command sets to support smart Home Area Networks based on Zigbee's Smart Energy Profile and Wide Area Networks.
As part of the deal, energy suppliers will be given access to a range of smart meters, along with in-home displays that comply with the suppliers' requirements for smart metering standards.
The development is expected to benefit UK consumers because competition in the supply of meter systems will increase and householders will be able to receive more accurate bills.
Frank Hyldmar of Elster said: "Smart metering in the UK is a huge technical and logistical project.
"Interim solutions jointly developed by industry leaders can only ease the transition to open standards and enable an earlier adoption of smart metering solutions."
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