The UK government says the roll-out of ‘smart meters’ for gas and electricity supplies will now begin in autumn 2015, according to the Department of Energy & Climate Change. This work had previously been expected to start from next summer.
The completion date for all UK homes and businesses to have smart meters has also been moved. This is now fixed at the end of 2020, at which point over 50 million smart meters will have been installed in around 30 million homes and small businesses.
Feedback from energy suppliers and communications providers has resulted in the decision, with more time needed for the design, testing and building of smart metering services.
From the end of this year, customers who already have a smart meter won’t be able to have a ‘dumb meter’ as a replacement.
Introducing smart gas and electricity meters that communicate with energy providers will ensure that consumers receive accurate bills rather than estimates. In addition, consumers will be able to monitor their usage and move between suppliers more easily.
[Smart metering consultation]
What does smart metering mean to the UK’s mobile network operators? We spoke to Ross Catley in July 2010 to learn about the technology, the opportunities and the potential pitfalls. You can listen to the interview via the built-in audio player on our website or by downloading the MP3 file.
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