DECC to roll out smart meters by 2020

Technical details of smart meters to be worked out between now and summer 2010

Smart meters to be rolled out by 2020

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has released plans to roll out smart meters to 26 million households in Britain by 2020.

Government energy regulator Ofgem will play a key role in the project.

The first phase of the work will see a prospectus published in the summer of 2010 that will contain the technical specifications and functionality of the meters. The prospectus will also contain detailed proposals for the regulatory and commercial framework surrounding their implementation.

One technical concern to be addressed at the outset is the creation of a common technical standard enabling interoperability between each of the big six energy suppliers - this will give customers the freedom to switch between suppliers.

Management of the first phase of the programme will be carried out by DECC and Ofgem's delivery arm, Ofgem-E Serve.

Ofgem E-Serve currently delivers government environmental programmes worth £3.9bn.

Smart meters can also play a role in the development of a smarter grid. Today's report details the first steps of a roadmap towards the widespread implementation of smart grids.