Yesterday, the Department for Energy and Climate Change’s consultation on smart metering for electricity and gas closed. As consumer groups and energy companies took to the airwaves, I expect the printers at 3 Whitehall Place were working overtime as a no-doubt plethora of responses from a range of interested parties were being churned out to make a long summer reading list for the officials involved.

Amongst others, the Energy Networks Association, and the Energy Retail Association have submitted responses urging the Government to make decisions quickly. This is a view that I agree with. Talking to Intellect’s members, there is no doubt there is genuine enthusiasm and excitement with regard to the roll-out of smart meters. As such, the Government’s response to this consultation will be eagerly awaited.

So what did Intellect’s response say?

It identifies they key issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible. For example, the response states that customer support for the roll-out at a local level is fundamental to the success of the project and it urges the Government to work closely with third sector organisations, local authorities, and other parties (such as the Carbon Trust) to utilise their experience in communicating messages on a regional basis and to a variety of different target groups. If the consumers are not on-board, then roll-out will be anything but straightforward.

The response also calls for the establishment of a smart metering delivery authority. This body should be mandated to deliver the roll-out of smart meters on time and to target. At the moment there is only one target: that meters should be rolled-out by the end of 2020 (we also call for the publication of a clear timetable for roll-out) and this body would be charged with ensuring that this milestone is reached. This authority should also be committed to a process of stakeholder engagement, considering the number of different organisations that make up the smart metering supply chain.

Intellect’s response, which highlights a number of important issues which need to be addressed, can be read in full here.

Incidentally, I had the opportunity to see a smart meter in operation the other day. With a user-friendly visual display encompassing an idiot-proof touch screen (well, I could use it) it was an impressive device. Another strength was the simplicity of the information provided. Users are able to see in real time the amounts of gas and electricity that they are using and, crucially, how much it is costing them. Although I don’t have smart meter yet, after using this device I’ve begun to look more closely at standby lights, overfilled kettles and lights that are on in rooms where people are not. Smart meters could become the paragon of consumer-orientated technology; I very much look forward to getting one, and hopefully before 2020…

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Tags: smart meters

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 11:28 am and is filed under Energy and Environment, Private Sector. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.