Every British home is to be issued with a smart meter which calculates how much gas or electricity is used each time an appliance is switched on.  Families will also know how much they are spending minute-by-minute.  Details will be announced by the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband this week.

Old-style meters will be ripped out and replaced with the gadgets, which can be programmed to turn appliances on and off to take advantage of off-peak rates.

Older-style electric meters will be phased out to make way for new ‘smart’ meters
Fridges and freezers could be turned off at peak times to save power – but will automatically be switched back on if the temperature inside rises too high.

The utility companies will pay for the £7billion installation programme, though much of the cost is expected to be recouped later from customers. Mobile phone technology will be used to transmit information on each family’s energy consumption to a central ‘hub’.
The system, to be introduced over the next ten years, will allow power companies to read meters remotely and mean the end of estimated bills.

Energy suppliers will save billions by doing away with meter readers and call centre staff.

Ministers claim families will save money by seeing their costs on a daily basis and will be encouraged to cut back to reduce bills.  The announcement comes days before world leaders arrive in Copenhagen for a climate change summit.

The Government hopes to enhance Britain’s ‘green’ credentials by showing it is determined to cut energy consumption.

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