The Government has announced that there will be one in every home by the end of 2020. But what exactly are smart meters and what do they mean for our customers and their energy?

• In its most basic form a smart meter is one that can be read remotely.
• Suppliers will be able to send and receive information electronically about electricity and gas consumption, significantly increasing the accuracy of billing.
• They can also provide information to customers via a visual display or online. You will be able to see how much energy you use on a day-to-day basis, giving you more control over your energy use and costs. This should help you reduce your energy consumption, making your bills lighter on both the planet and your pocket.

We’ve been running our own trials on smart meters, installing them into a few of our large business customers’ offices since 2009. We’re now piloting smart meters with some domestic customers and in our own offices ahead of the Government announcement on required specification later this year.

Some suppliers have already started to provide their customers with the new meters, which they are calling ‘smart’. While we too are committed to installing smart meters for all of our customers, we have chosen to wait until a final government decision is made on their design and how the infrastructure will work.