Smart meters- advantages and disadvantages.

Smart meters have been a focal point for the government in recent months. In line with projections to cut emissions, they aim to have every customer be offered a smart meter by their utilities provider, but why?

Smart meters give the benefit of being able to directly see your usage, on an easy to read interface. For example, some display the wattage you are currently consuming, in addition to showing the cost of your usage, and the time of day you consume. This allows people the ability to monitor and control their usage and is predicted to save domestic customers £30 a year. In addition, smart meters allow better contracts for consumers, as they will have knowledge of when they use their energy, which will enable customers to negotiate greater tariffs as they can take advantage of off-peak prices.

However, research by Smart Energy GB (smart meter promoter) shows that there has been a poor response on the uptake of the smart meters. In addition, BBC watchdog reported that some smart meters have even caused house fires, which could have put people off from adopting them. The government are pushing for utility organisations to install smart meters, but according to statistics there has been limited effort on this front (18% of SSE customers offered), which helps to explain the slow uptake.

The benefits of smart meters could save on both money and emissions for the domestic consumer. However, it is not just domestic consumers that will benefit, with Northern Gas and Power’s Clearvue system; you can take control of your business energy consumption.

Contact us at enquiry@ngpltd.co.uk or phone 0845 643 5432 for more information.