Smart Meter
Energy is one of my favourite subjects. That’s a strange thing to say isn’t it?! It really is the first place I advise people to look to save some money from their monthly spends. I like to write about new energy products on the market and new technology that make saving energy and monitoring energy usage easier, the smart meter is something I am super keen to talk about.
Smart Meters are a fantastic way of understanding exactly how much energy you are using. This will enable you to save money when you actually see the numbers and pennies ticking away as you use your energy. Check with your energy provider if you can get one installed free of charge. I have written a few times about smart meters in association with Smart Energy GB. And twice a year they publish some independent research which I have a summary of their findings here.
Smart Energy Outlook
The research is a Smart energy outlook on consumer attitudes towards the energy market and smart meters. The latest wave of research shows that more than eight in ten (81 per cent) of the people who already have smart meters would recommend them to others, and a similar proportion (82 per cent) are taking steps to reduce their energy use. These are very encouraging figures and show that once people have the information they need about their energy use they make changes to their behaviour and help themselves to save money.
Smart energy outlook also shows that in-home displays (IHDs) are having a positive impact on helping people to manage their energy. IHDs are simple, handheld devices offered to every home, at no extra cost, when a smart meter is installed. They show people what they are spending on energy in near real time, in pounds and pence. Eight in ten people with an IHD use it regularly (at least a few times per month). Eighty-Eight per cent of those with an IHD say that they have a better idea of what they’re spending on energy, compared to 76 per cent who have a smart meter but no IHD
Smart Energy GB’s research shows that 83 per cent of people are taking up the offer of an IHD. Nearly nine in ten (87 per cent) of those with an IHD say that they have a better idea of what they’re spending on energy, compared to 69 per cent of those who have a smart meter but have not chosen to take up the offer of an IHD.
More than 10,000 people are surveyed
Smart energy outlook surveys more than 10,000 people around the country, and the research also found:
Smart energy outlook is carried out for Smart Energy GB, twice a year, by independent research agency Populus. It surveys more than 10,000 people around the country. The report has found:
- Over eight in ten (81 per cent) of people with a smart meter would recommend them to other
- Over eight in ten (82 per cent) of people with a smart meter have taken at least one step to reduce their energy us
- Eight in ten people with an IHD use it regularly (at least a few times per month)
- 88 per cent of those with an IHD say that they have a better idea of what they’re spending on energy, compared to 76 per cent who have a smart meter but no IHD
Smart Meters are coming
Everyone in Great Britain will be offered a smart meter by their energy supplier between now and 2020, at no additional cost. Smart meters bring an end to estimated bills and show people what they’re spending in pounds and pence, in near real time via an IHD.
You can read more of the findings from Smart energy outlook at the Smart Energy GB Website
This is a collaborative post
3 Responses
Very cool. Didn’t realise we’d all be offered one by 2020. Can’t wait!
You can call up your energy provider to find out when you can get one..if you are with one of big 6 you should be able to get one soon.
Convenience is so important and that gives you control, which means you will end up spending less. Fab.