Turn a new leaf

Britain’s wind and sunlight are already powering us into a new era, so how can smart meters help us make the most of our home-grown energy?

Think about how much the seasons and weather affect your garden. Right now, winter has left the trees devoid of leaves, and flower beds are bereft. It’s still a good month or so before you can look forward to spring’s restorative influence, as the temperature rises, and fresh new growth begins to sprout.

But that doesn’t mean less desirable weather doesn’t have its benefits. Autumn and winter allow you to prepare your garden for the next season and regenerate your lawn to its former green glory after the searing heat of summer.

And on a wider scale, when there’s a howling gale outside that makes us all batten down the hatches, it could also be helping Britain generate more of its own renewable energy. The nation’s landscapes and elements have so much potential to power us to a better future, and they’re already contributing more than you might think – and when it comes to maximising that potential, smart meters have a crucial role to play.

By monitoring our energy usage, smart meters are helping Britain’s energy network cope with the different demands of a cleaner, greener future.

No place like home

Smart Energy GB recently quizzed 4,000 people across England, Scotland and Wales about where our energy comes from, revealing that on average, Brits think we produce around

38 per cent of our own electricity. According to the National Grid, however, we produce 93 per cent of our electricity! Of the energy produced, those surveyed guessed that 32 per cent was from renewable sources, whereas that figure is actually a touch higher at 39 per cent. That number is increasing, but our ageing energy system needs to be brought into the 21st century before we can unlock the true potential of our homegrown renewable energy sources.

With prices rising due to a variety of factors, 38 per cent of the respondents said global events had made them realise we need a smart and efficient energy system in Great Britain. Happily, there is something we can all do to help to help with that.

We’ve got the power

Having a smart meter installed by your energy supplier – at no extra cost – is a great way to manage your energy use more efficiently. Its handy in-home display shows you how much energy you’re using in nearreal time in pounds and pence, helping you make small everyday changes that could bring down your energy bills.

Perhaps more crucially, the information the smart meter gathers also assists Britain’s system to better cope with our energy demand. Smart meters can help provide a more accurate prediction of where and when energy will be needed, so the people who generate and distribute it can manage the system in the most efficient way possible and cope with issues such as surges in demand.

These gadgets can also enable the type of time-of-use tariffs we’re seeing trialled this winter, which will make it cheaper for consumers to use energy at times of low demand, or when there’s a high supply of renewables. This will also make us less reliant on gas- or coal-fired power stations when demand is high.

So, when you get a smart meter installed, not only are you taking control of your energy usage, but you could also be helping Britain’s energy system become more independent, efficient and sustainable in the future.