About 40,000 homes will be taking part in a trial energy savings program across
the United Kingdom.
Energy regulator Ofgem is to administer the first large-scale trials in
Britain of advanced
energy meters in a two-year project which could help cut household energy
consumption and curb emissions and climate change.
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A
complex smart meter, showing information from multiple appliances |
The two-year trials will look at how
customers react to ‘smart’ energy meters which give better information on gas
and electricity consumption, and have the potential to bring improved household
energy efficiency and eliminate the need for
estimated bills.
Funding for the £20 million programme
will come half from the government and half from companies including EDF Energy,
E.ON UK, Scottish and Southern Energy, and Scottish Power, with whom contracts
have already been signed.
Meters will be fitted in around 15,000 British homes to provide feedback on
whether they help customers improve household
energy efficiency. A further 8,000
homes will receive standalone display units showing energy use in pounds and
pence. The trials - which will be administered by Ofgem over the next two years
- will test how customers react to these new devices and to clearer, more
frequent energy bills.
Some of the homes will receive smart meters, some will get
clip-on, real-time energy monitors for their existing meters, and some will be testing new ways of
receiving information from utilities.
"Changing consumer habits is vital if we are to cut our energy use and reduce
the impact of climate change. Smart meters provide the cutting edge technology
to enable this to happen," Hutton said. "The results of the trials will provide
invaluable evidence to support the future roll-out of displays and smart meters;
helping to cut consumer bills and cut our carbon emissions."
"Smart meters have great potential to help customers better understand their
energy consumption and encourage energy efficiency," said Alistair Buchanan,
Ofgem chief executive.
Smart meters provide a number of benefits such as:
- Relaying energy use directly to a supplier avoiding the need for estimated
bills.
- Allowing customers to track their energy use over time to see where they
can save
energy and money off their bills.
- Potentially improving take-up of home electricity generation such as solar
panels as
they can record how much power customers may be exporting back onto the
networks.
Progress updates will be available every six months during the two-year
trial.
Ofgem Press Release:
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Media/PressRel/Documents1/ofgem31 _2_.pdf
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