The biggest upheaval in household energy supplies for decades will be launched by the government on Monday, when it gives details of its plans to put a “smart” electricity and gas meter in every home in the country by 2020.  The huge programme, involving the fitting of 49m new meters in 27m homes, is expected to cost about £7bn ($11bn). Industry executives describe it as the biggest change in the way energy is delivered to the home since the country converted to natural gas in the 1970s.  Smart meters use information technology to collect detailed data on energy use. They offer the potential for significant savings, in particular by allowing suppliers to charge more for electricity at times of peak demand. They will also allow customers to sell electricity they have generated back to the grid, and could link up with “smart appliances”, such as a freezer that can automatically be switched off at peak times. Smart meters are also seen as a necessary first step to creating a “smart grid”, which would enable energy suppliers to be much more efficient in their use of power. Smart meters combined with a smart grid would allow far greater use of intermittent renewable sources such as wind farms, because they would allow the smoothing of demand and supply and would mean generators needed to leave fewer power stations on stand-by to meet the peaks. Smart meters could also help with the introduction of electric cars, as they could charge the cars at night. The industry has strongly backed the introduction of the meters. Suppliers expect to save money by putting an end to meter readings and estimated bills. However, the government has delayed setting out the details of its plans, which had been expected last year, while it debated the details of how the meters would be rolled out. The model it has chosen is to compel suppliers to fit their own customers’ homes with smart meters.

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