The Government should do more to promote the use of ’smart meters’ to help cut energy use, a new report says. Installing the meters, which can tell a homeowner at a glance how much gas, electricity or water is being used, will be vital in facing up to climate change and meeting the Government’s target of cutting CO2 levels by 60 per cent by 2050. The environmental think-tank Green Alliance says in the report that smart metering can help change people’s behaviour by allowing them to see the benefits of energy saving. The report argues that too little research had been done in demonstrating the benefits of smart metering and most people knew nothing about the technology involved even though homes produce 27 per cent of all UK CO2 emissions. Smart meters track energy usage and can help existing homes far more energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly. The report calls on the Government to do more to raise the profile of smart features which it is hoped will be commonplace in homes in the next 10 years and to offer incentives to install them. Green Alliance says smart metering can be used to supplement more conventional options such as cavity wall insulation. They can measure ‘ energy consumption in ‘real-time’ allowing people to see how much energy is required to make a cup of tea or how much is used when a TV is left on standby. Intelligent heating controls, a step beyond smart meters, would allow people to refine their energy use to heat and cool their home in the most efficient way. “Changing consumer habits is vital if we are to cut our energy use and reduce the impact of climate change. Smart features make it easier for people to grasp the true extent of their energy and resource usage and take steps to reduce it,” the report states. Reducing the impact of older homes which did not have energy saving devices fitted was a serious challenge but they could be retrofitted with smart metering which offered significant benefits. A survey carried out by insurer More Than, to coincide with the report, found that 81 per cent of people questioned had never heard of smart meters. But once it was explained 43 per cent of people said they would be interested in having one installed, although just 26 per cent would be willing to pay for this themselves, with others claiming it was the job of energy companies and the Government to foot the bill. Nearly half of people also said the Government needed to do more to make people aware of the options available to them to make their homes more energy efficient. Stephen Hale, director of Green Alliance, said: “Smart features have not had much recognition as environmental solutions but our new report makes their potential clear. “They can make important contributions to the environmental challenges we face and we would like to see sustained research into this area. “The Government needs to recognise that smart electricity meters are the critical first step in introducing a wider range of green smart features into homes.”

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