Smart meters must have displays

Smart meters with displays benefit consumers more

Energy watchdog Energy Saving Trust has backed the government position that smart meters must be accompanied by in-home displays so that consumers reap the full benefits from them.

Smart meters will be installed in every home in Britain by 2020 under government plans. They measure energy use more accurately so that bills are more accurate and energy firms have to generate less excess load.

But consumers will only really benefit if in-home displays are installed which allow them to see the energy use of separate areas in the household.

"Measures which effectively convey feedback in real time can help increase awareness and reduce waste," says the report from the Energy Saving Trust. "It can also bolster demand for the insulation of physical insulation measures, especially if the necessary supporting advice and support services are in place to make this link."

The Trust's research shows that analogue displays are the simplest for customers to use because they present information in the simplest form.

The installation of these displays should be accompanied with face-to-face advice on how to use them, to ensure consumers are capable of accessing the information they need.

The government needs to make a decision soon on these standards to enable the market to deliver the required number of displays in time for roll out, according to the Trust. Currently only one of the devices available in the UK meets all these requirements.

The Trust also calls on the government to make the technology used in the meters as open as possible, so they are capable of supporting new services such as water smart meters, smart grid developments, and automated home energy management systems at a later date.

The Trust also recommends that it be used to co-ordinate a national consumer campaign to persuade the public of the benefits of smart metering. And it says that those businesses or homes who are considering micro-generation should be among the first to receive smart meters.