Utility giant e.on is set to steal a march on rivals with the imminent launch of smart meters in consumers’ homes. The energy company has announced it is in the process of installing 7,000 metersin the East and West Midlands in a pilot scheme, as part of “Energy Demand” a project run by regulator Ofgem and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. The scheme follows a consultation undertaken by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) last year. BERR is expected to report its findings at the end of this month. Four of the “big six” energy suppliers e.on UK, EDF Energy, Scottish & Southern Energy and Scottish Power - are involved in the roll out. The Government has invested £10m in the scheme and it is understood that each utility company has also spent a similar amount. E.on, which claims to have invested £12m in the metering technology, says the roll out will give it “key learnings” on the benefits of smart meters in the residential market. An e.on spokesman says/ “When you can see and experience energy, you can also see how to save it. Smart meters will help these customers understand how much energy they’re using and encourage them to reduce their consumption and carbon emissions.” E.on launched its “see it and save” television campaign - which aims to make energy “visible” to its customers on March 13. The smart meters are being installed by e.on’s Energy Services business and are made by Ampy. Smart-meter technology measures consumption trends, giving consumers a clear picture of their energy usage. It provides two-way communication with the consumer and the energy provider, so meters can be updated to show accurate bills automatically. British Gas has unveiled its own brand of smart meters as part of its microgeneration product launch (MW last week). The meters are part of its New Energy division’s £900m investment in energy efficient technology.

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