'Energy suppliers may pass on smart meter costs to consumers' - 29/07/2010
Industry experts have raised concerns that the cost of energy suppliers' smart meters may be passed on to consumers.
The government has announced that it plans to roll out smart meters earlier than planned, but according to consumer magazine Which? consumers could see the cost of such an expensive programme partially added to their energy bills.
In a joint prospectus, energy regulator Ofgem and the Department for Energy and Climate Change said energy suppliers will be expected to recover the costs of the smart meter roll out by recouping them from customers.
"Consumers don't want the projected £10 billion cost for the roll-out to be added onto their energy bills, especially given that the only people guaranteed to save money from smart meters are suppliers themselves," explained Which? chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith.
Which? called on the government to make sure energy suppliers are not allowed to use the smart meter roll out as an opportunity to cross-sell other products at the point of installation and to ensure that consumers' data are protected from abuse.
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