Smarten up to the possibilities of domestic energy metering
Last week Lord Hunt, Energy and Climate Change minister, announced plans to introduce smart energy meters to every home by the end of 2020, via energy suppliers. A paper setting out the case for developing smart grids in the UK is also being published.
Commenting on the announcement, Lord Hunt said: "A global climate deal in Copenhagen needs all countries to make the most ambitious commitments possible, but it will also require all of us to change how we lead our lives and how we generate our energy. Smart meters will put the power in people’s hands, enabling us all to control how much energy we use, cut emissions and cut bills."
The Government is making energy suppliers responsible for installing smart meters into their customers’ homes. This will take the form of a standalone display device with the meter, to make it easy for consumers to see and understand their energy use and carbon emissions in real-time.
Although there is much debate in the media, about who will pay for the meters and how much of the cost will be passed onto the homeowner, one positive outcome for the electrical wholesaling industry will be an increase in consumer awareness of the need for energy efficiency. Devices, equipment or energy saving products will surely be in greater demand in the future…A trend which should be looked at closely to ensure that you have the right products in stock, at the right time, to meet this expected demand.
I would be really interested to hear your views about smart energy metering – both as a consumer and the effect you believe it will have on your business in the future.
Finally, you should have received your Winter issue of Electrical Wholesale Management magazine… What do you think of it? We need your input to make sure we bring you the right information in future issues. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
Email me your views
Suzanne Gill
Editor
Comment
"I'm not a hugely gadgety person but was interested to see how good these domestic energy meters were and one of my mates offered to lend me his. He had been using it and felt that he didn't need it any more as after 6 months he knew what the big energy users were in his house and had learned habits to manage energy usage instinctively.
I installed the meter and my family and I were impressed at how accurate it was - having the display in £ rather than kWh made it easy to see. Overall we were impressed that the base running cost in the evening for a 4 bedroom house with 2 adults and 3 kids was typically between 8 and 10p an hour. Needless to say that almost every lamp ion the house is a low energy type and all the appliances are A rated for energy where possible. That said over a period of a few months we have still achieved a 10% saving on our electricity bill just through awareness of how much it is actually costing at each moment in time. We as a family are all now much more aware of energy usage and are more proactive in 'switching off' appliances when they are not required.
All in a good idea to increase awareness and change habits to save energy helping the environment with the added benefit of a reduced electricity bill."
Nick Bothwell, Electrical group manager