Home metering 'could help save energy'

Tuesday, 14 November 2006 12:00 AM

People could be given meters in their homes to show exactly how much electricity they use, in new proposals aimed at tackling climate change.

The government has launched a consultation on how firms could fit homes with meters and display screens showing exactly how much energy households were using.

Gas and electricity companies may also be asked to provide details of past energy use to customers on their bills, to enable people to see where they can make savings.

The proposals were welcomed by consumer groups, and the Energy Retail Association, which represents electricity and gas suppliers, also said it broadly backed the plans.

However, it warned that fitting meters into people's homes could cost billions of pounds, and although the government has said consumers will not have to pay for this, the association said any extra expense would inevitably result in higher bills.

Trade and industry secretary Alistair Darling said today's plans would give people the tools to cut their energy use, and in doing so cut the average bill by up to £30.

"We want to do more to help people reduce their electricity bills and tackle climate change. We can cut carbon and cut costs with clearer bills and better ways of measuring energy use. It can help us make greener choices," he said.

"If people have more information about how much energy they use, they use less. Display devices and better bills have been shown to reduce energy consumption by as much as 12 per cent."

Suppliers would be required to provide information about customers' past energy consumption to make them more aware of what they were using, and could be asked to provide a "display device" to give instant details on how much electricity was being used.

The Energy Retail Association said it was keen to help people become more energy efficient, and information was crucial to this. But public affairs manager Vance Duhaney said smart metering was still at an "embryonic" stage and the practicalities were unclear.

"The key issue is who pays for it," he told politics.co.uk, adding that giving responsibility for fitting meters to energy firms "will most probably mean an increase in bills".

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