Set to be rolled out across homes and businesses around the country by 2020, smart meters will revolutionise the way people see and understand their energy use at home, giving them greater clarity over what they use and how it impacts their household spend on energy.
Smart meters display near real-time information on a smart energy monitor, so you can see how much your energy is costing you, in pounds and pence, as you use it. This means an end to the inevitable grappling with kilowatt hours when you receive your monthly bills. As your meter readings are shared with your energy supplier automatically, you won’t need to submit meter reading to receive an accurate rather than estimated bill. British Gas has already installed one million smart meters in homes across the country.
For the next six weeks, four UK homes will take part in a very special experiment to understand in greater detail what smart meters can do for them. They will each have smart meters fitted in their homes and will complete a series of challenges to see how having smart meters, and the smart energy monitor, changes their energy behaviour and use.
Via blogs and video diaries of their experiences, the households will share what they have learned through each challenge about managing and monitoring their energy consumption. They’ll explain what they think of the smart energy monitor, what they do with the information it gives them and the impact it has on their behaviour in the home. With household costs still a big concern for many people, there’s never been a better time to explore how this new technology can help people take control of their energy bills.
As the four households get to grips with their smart meters, you’ll also find out more about how smart meters work in the home, so you’ll know exactly what to expect when your energy supplier contacts you to upgrade your existing meters.
There will be a range of articles over the next three months:
• An interactive quiz to find out how savvy you already are about energy use (and which appliances really affect your bills)
• Weekly blog and video posts charting how the four households are getting on with the new technology
• Meet a British Gas Smart Energy Expert, one of the specially trained engineers who install smart meters and also advise customers on energy efficiency
• Info and tips from British Gas on how you can take greater control of energy, using smart meters and a range of other energy products and services
• A look ahead at the smart energy future all our homes can look forward to, which will be made possible by smart meters, such as everyday appliances that switch on when energy is cheapest
Meet the families taking part in the smart meter challenge here.
