27 April 2006
The government and EDF Energy have launched the first residential trial of energy 'smart meters'.
Around 3,000 homes across the UK will be testing the gas and electricity meters. They will be installed over the next two years.
It is hoped that providing customers with an accurate bill without the need for estimating energy consumption will be cut, helping consumers save money and also helping to conserve energy resources.
"It's quite hard for consumers to relate their quarterly bills with individual actions around the house," said Elliot Morley, minister for climate change and environment.
"By installing smart meters, I hope customers will be able to see better the real cost savings that can be made by taking simple actions such as switching off unnecessary appliances."
Last month, the chancellor Gordon Brown made a £5 million fund available to finance research into devices, such as smart energy meters, that could potentially reduce energy demand and bring about greater efficiency.
Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of EDF Energy, said: "Given the chancellor's announcements on smart metering, we are extremely pleased to be the first energy supplier to commence a major interactive smart metering trial directly with some of our customers.
"Climate change is now top of the agenda. These meters give customers the information that helps them choose how they use energy."
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