In October 2008, the Government announced that smart meters were to be installed in every home in Britain by the end of 2020. The programme will involve the replacement of more than 50 million electricity and gas meters in over 29 million homes and businesses. The installation of the meters will be led by the UK's energy suppliers.
Smart meters are the next generation of electricity and gas meters. They will bring about the end of estimated bills. They can provide customers and energy companies with accurate and up to date information on energy being used both in the home and across the country.
Smart meters allow the energy company to read the meter remotely, without having to send a meter reader to the home. They also help energy companies to improve the standard of service that they offer to customers. They will have a better understanding of their customers’ energy use and will be able to personalise their communication based on this.
We have played a leading role in campaigning for smart meters to be installed across the country. Our work so far has included:
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Joining with Energywatch (now Consumer Focus) and trade publication Utility Week to persuade Government to authorise the install of smart meters across Britain within 10 years.
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Agreeing principles and requirements for working together and decided on the way that smart gas and electricity metering should work
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Creating proposals and options for the way the smart meter programme should be run
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Setting up the Supplier Requirements for Smart Metering project, working on a number of wider industry schemes related to smart metering, and responding to Government consultations.
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Working with the Government’s central smart metering implementation programme to develop best outcomes for smart metering and customers.
Our on-going work includes:
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Developing the scheme on behalf of our members, delivering codes of practice and other agreed commitments
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Contributing to the DECC Smart Metering Programme with development work
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Responding to Ofgem and DECC consultations
We maintain an interactive map which shows smart metering initiatives around the world, including details of technology used, dates, and volumes. View the smart metering projects map.
