Smart meter ad misleads over savings

THE official smart meter campaign group has been condemned for misleading households over savings the devices can make on energy use.

Smart Energy GB ran a radio advert that boasted families would make an average annual energy saving of 354 kilowatt hours (kWh). The implication was that this would also feed through to substantial savings on the cost of heat, light and cooking.

But in a ruling published today, the Advertising Standards Authority said this was misleading because the meters themselves do not deliver any reduction. The only saving occurs if households cut down on electricity and gas once they see how much they are using after a smart meter installation.

The watchdog has banned the commercial and said future ads must make clear any savings are dependent on families monitoring their energy use and cutting back.