Details of smart meter roll-out could encourage people to switch energy practices - 01/12/2009
The government may announce details tomorrow (December 2nd) of a plan to roll out smart meters and encourage more people to compare energy usage in their homes.
More than £9 billion of funding is expected to be announced for the scheme that will install 47 million smart meters in homes throughout the UK, enabling energy suppliers to provide accurate billing and allowing homeowners to monitor their precise usage.
In addition, consumers will be encouraged to use appliances such as white goods during off-peak times in order to reduce the strain on the national grid.
Finlay MacDonald, manager of the smart metering programme at ScottishPower, told the Times: "The new meter technology will streamline a lot of our internal procedures, helping to improve account handling and turnaround times for processes like a change of tenancy or a change of supplier."
The level of savings available to homeowners has been questioned, however, with the Telegraph reporting that consumers will only save an average of £28 a year.
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