Minister details smart meter plans

Smart meter roll out will entail huge IT infrasrtucture programme

The government has outlined its preferred model for a national rollout of smart energy meters ­ which it wants installed in every UK home by 2020.

A country-wide deployment of smart meters is predicted to cut household energy use, enable suppliers to better respond to fluctuations in demand, and help government meet its energy targets. The meters include two-way communications systems that track energy use.

The government has launched a new consultation on smart meters highlighting the preferred rollout option as the “central communications model”.

This would see energy companies having responsibility for the installation and maintenance of the smart meter while the communication to and from every device across the country is co-ordinated by a third party. The model has been welcomed by energy suppliers because it means they would not have to invest in
expensive communications infrastructure needed to handle large amounts of data from devices.

Energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband said the move was an important step in tackling domestic emissions. “Smart meters will empower all consumers to monitor their own energy use and make reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions as a result,” he said.

The government also this week announced a consultation on the technical specifications for the meters themselves, available on the web site of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Garry Felgate, chief executive of energy supplier industry body the Energy Retail Association, said the move would revolutionise energy use across the country.
“Smart meters will allow you to monitor your energy use in real time and compare the amount of electricity and gas you use today against the day before, the week before and even the year before,” he said.

John Higgins, director general of Intellect, said the move was good news for jobs in the technology industry. “Smart meters are a platform on which we can build the jobs of the future, open up huge new areas for services and create devices that cut carbon emissions,” he said.

A report from the London School of Economics on smart meters released two weeks ago found £5bn of investment in a smart grid would create or retain 231,000 UK jobs, with a significant proportion coming from the growth of the industries connected to meter production, maintenance and development. Ernst and Young estimates industry will have to install meters in 2.6 million households a year to meet targets.