Simple clear advice in plain English

Government wants to speed up rollout of smart meters

Consumer watchdog welcomes news that Government pushing for faster implementation of smart meters

image of a smart meter
computing/computing-17-01-08/npower-smart-meter

The Government and energy regulator Ofgem have published proposals about how to delivery smart meters for electricity and gas.

A smart meter monitors the gas and electricity going into the home using real time sensors that can also provide data and notifications such as power outage and power quality.

Some homes in the UK have already been fitted with these devices, which generally send electricity readings every half hour and gas usage daily to the utility company via a mobile communications link.

The plan was to start ensuring every home in the country had a smart meter by 2020. Now the Government said it, and Ofgem, are determined to implement the rollout faster than originally planned, because of the benefits it will bring to consumers and suppliers.

However there are concerns about data privacy and security and consumer protection which the Government said will be discussed in the proposals.

The news was welcomed by consumer watchdog, Consumer Focus which called the news “a major step forward”.

Zoe McLeod, the organisation’s energy expert said: “We are delighted that the Government and Ofgem have made such smart moves in response to our campaigning on the measures needed to make smart meters work for consumers.

"The recognition that greater safeguards must be developed on consumer protection and privacy should also help to reassure any customers with concerns over this technology.

“However, the unanswered question on many consumers’ lips will remain how much this will cost them and whether they should be writing a blank cheque for smart meters given the cost benefits it will provide to industry.”

Article tags

Reader Comments

   

Add your comment

All fields must be completed. Your email address will not be displayed or used to send marketing messages.

All messages will be checked by moderators before appearing on the site.

See our Privacy Policy for more information.

Related articles

image-of-the-ca-investigates-logo

Smart energy meters investigated

Find out how utility companies are monitoring your energy consumption

ian-hargreaves

UK copyright laws must be updated warn organisations

Copyright laws stiffle innovation and are unfair say leading consumer and professional bodies

Lightning illustration

Protect your PCs from a power cut

Although power cuts are uncommon, if one does happen it could damage your computer. We explain how to protect your equipment from a surge or total failure

Question & Answer

Q.Why are some of the keys on my keyboard doing strange...

> Read the answer

Q.Is my phone’s Bluetooth any use?

> Read the answer

Q.Can I switch boot drives so that I can work on older...

> Read the answer

Best deals on the web

img

Samsung RV520-A07

£359.98- Buy it now

img

Acer Aspire 5750G (LX.RXP02.019)

£399.99- Buy it now

img

Apple MacBook Pro (MD313B/A)

£904.37- Buy it now

Latest issue & subscription deals

Poll

Are you concerned about viruses that target mobile phones?

Jargon Buster

Computing terms explained in plain English

CAD

Computer Aided Design. Software used to create 3D models.

Great shopping deals from Computeractive