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The government and energy supply industry yesterday began a £20m trial to encourage households to curb their use of gas and electricity and reduce Britain’s emissions of greenhouse gases. Some 15,000 homes will be equipped with so-called smart meters, allowing consumers and suppliers to track energy use, cutting out the need for meter readings and estimated bills. Another 8,000 homes will be given stand-alone display units, which show consumers how much electricity they are using and what it is costing but which do not pass on information to the energy supplier. Another 17,000 will get advice on how to economise. John Hutton, the business and enterprise secretary, said: “Changing consumer habits is vital if we are to cut our energy use and reduce the impact of climate change. The results of the trials will provide invaluable evidence to support the future roll-out of displays and smart meters; helping to cut consumer bills and cut our carbon emissions.” The trials have come under fire from critics who say the government should have introduced smart meters and that display devices could prove a distraction. Allan Asher, chief executive of the consumer champion Energywatch, said. “It is absurd to install electricity displays – and conventional meters – instead of smart meters when the Government expects them to be replaced within a few years. As it is, Britain is lagging behind other European countries which are already in the process of rolling out smart meters.” The Liberal Democrats said smart meters could cut average household energy bills by £60 to £80 a year. The party’s business and enterprise spokesman, Lembit Opik, said: “Rather than wasting time with unnecessary trials, the Government should get on with the job of rolling out (smart meters) across the country now. It is obvious that smart meters cut costs and carbon usage in the home, by making it much easier for people to grasp the true extent of their energy usage.” Based on evidence from the trial, which will be run by the energy industry regulator Ofgem, the government plans to roll out smart meters across the UK over the next decade. The trial is being backed by four of the leading energy supply companies, EDF Energy, Eon, Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power, which are contributing half the funding. All four are members of the Energy Retail Association, which yesterday welcomed the trials. But the ERA’s chief executive, Duncan Sedgwick, warned that display units should not become a distraction: “While electricity display devices can be useful for customers who want to take an active interest in their energy usage, smart metering both gas and electricity is the only way to make a real reduction in carbon emissions and to benefit all customers in the long term.”

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