Star-studded smart meter ads raising YOUR bills by £50m a year
A SMART meter campaign that uses TV stars, actors and models to promote the gadgets is adding about £50 million a year to energy bills.
Celebrities such as Ainsley Harriott, Maxine Peake and Twiggy have appeared in TV, radio and magazine adverts boasting of the benefits of new digital smart meters.
Under an upgrade scheme energy firms must offer a smart meter to every home and small business by 2020 or face fines – although households are not obliged to have one.
The new digital meters can automatically send readings to suppliers as often as every half an hour, putting an end to estimated bills.
Customers can also see how much power they are using on a screen.
Smart Energy GB was set up by the Government in 2013 to encourage households to get a smart meter.
It claims it is an independent body but is funded by energy companies, which pass costs on to customers.
The Government initially estimated that a national awareness campaign would cost about £87 million.
Now, industry insiders have told Money Mail that by the end of 2021 Smart Energy GB will have spent upwards of £220 million. Its budget for this year is £48.4 million.
The National Audit Office has warned that the group may need extra funding to take it beyond 2021 as the rollout is unlikely to be complete on time.
Last year Smart Energy GB spent £683,000 paying celebrities to be its spokesmen and feature in adverts.
But an industry insider claimed the campaign group was not doing enough to boost the number of households actually installing meters.
He added that eyebrows had been raised over stunts such as arranging for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to perform ‘A Requiem for Meters’ on instruments made from old gas and electricity meters.
One advert featured TV cook Harriott preparing food for bodybuilders.
Twiggy, who was made a dame this week, has even taken part in a photoshoot posing among giant smart meters. Speaking in a YouTube video in 2017, she said: ‘When I was discovered in the 1960s it was an amazing time for the country economically and culturally... I’m here today to tell you about smart meters – another big change that effects every single household in Great Britain.’
Location, Location, Location presenting duo Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer also promoted the devices, as well as former Great British Bake Off contestant Ian Cumming.
Tory MP Grant Shapps said: ‘I cannot see how this unchecked spending could be considered a sensible or effective use of money.’ Consumer expert Martyn James said: ‘Expensive ad campaigns can go horribly off track if they don’t tackle the underlying problems. With smart meters, the problem is the public doesn’t believe they work.’
Smart meters have been beset by problems since their introduction. Customers may find their meter goes ‘dumb’ when they try to switch supplier.
Critics have also warned they give firms access to a ‘honeypot’ of private customer data.
This month, the advertising watchdog banned a Smart Energy GB ad featuring actress Miss Peake for misleading listeners about savings.
The Advertising Standards Authority said the advert had failed to make it clear that listeners had to change their energy use in order to save. Smart Energy GB said it was appealing the ruling.
Sacha Deshmukh, head of Smart Energy GB, said: ‘We are guided by the best practice in marketing and communications in designing and delivering our campaign. It is this that helps us create an effective, value for money and thoroughly evaluated campaign.’
‘Underlying problems’