"Smart Meter?"

The government has just announced that each household in the UK will now be able to request a home energy monitor. The step falls in line with EU legislation, forcing member states to implement measures to offer customers real time information regarding their energy consumption. The monitors will enable householders via a graphical user interface to monitor how much electricity is being used at any one time, historic data in visual forms and Co2 emissions. The system offers many benefits to the user with advocates of the government scheme claiming that it could decrease electricity demand for an average household by 10%. The features the new "smart meters" will have are;

• Remotely Read These do away with the need for meters to be manually read. Instead, the information is sent automatically to the energy supplier. This scraps the need for estimated bills.
  
  
• Meaningful Displays
  The meters display energy consumption in monetary terms, rather than kilowatt hours, making it more relevant to people. A display can also be positioned in places where the homeowner can see it more easily.
  
  
• Internet Meters
  Allowing people to closely monitor where energy is being consumed in their homes, and where it is being wasted, such as devices left on standby. All of this data can be accessed via the Internet.

Whilst I agree with the implementation of smart meters in principal, Canadian research over two-years suggests the overall reduction in consumption was 10%. Other studies have resulted in more conservative reductions of 7%.

"Although the people who request a monitor will receive it free of charge consumers would ultimately foot the bill because the cost of the scheme would either be recouped through taxes or their energy bills"
Luke Nicholson, Creative Director, More Associates

With 31m homes in the UK it would be a great disappointment to invest in a a technology that only 3% of people say will change their long-term energy use. I would rather the government invest the money into existing or new technologies which would have greater impact, pound-for-pound. The government could easily (for less than the cost of implementing the smart meter) provide energy efficient bulbs for every household in the UK, this would result in an energy consumption reduction of up to 15%. A Labour Party spokesman suggests the scheme will likely be up and running in 2008. If you have comments on the governments proposals please feel free to post them here.