You start out wanting to save money, but it’s better for the planet, too…
WANTING to save money on your energy bills is one reason to get a smart meter. The other is doing your bit to live a more environmentallyfriendly lifestyle.
The need for a more efficient energy system in the UK is paramount as we work towards a more planet-friendly way of life.
Smart meters are a crucial step towards the energy system of the future. This new generation of gas and electricity meters will deliver accurate energy use data to the smart grid, allowing for more effective management of energy across the country.
Here’s how smart meters are more efficient and can contribute to a greener society, by allowing you to track what you’re spending on energy.
Simon, 60, lives in a three-bedroom bungalow in Essex and requested a smart meter from his energy supplier because he’d just bought a new house and wanted to see how much energy it was using.
He’s also happy to be contributing to a more ecofriendly society.
“Most people get smart meters to save energy so in the long run it’s got to be good for the environment. I think about these things a lot more than 20 years ago. There’s also a lot more about global warming in the news, which has also raised my awareness of it.
“If everyone can do their bit then it’s going to help us all in the future,” says Simon.
“When I moved in to my new house I requested a smart meter from my energy supplier. I had a prepayment meter before, so I decided to try smart prepay, and found it really handy. It has helped me save money and is so much easier being able to top up online.
“Since having the smart meter installed, I have found it really useful seeing my energy use in pounds and pence on the in-home display, and I have managed to make some changes which have saved a lot of energy.
“When I moved into the house it had six 50 watt halogen bulbs in the kitchen ceiling and you wouldn’t believe what they cost. You could be using two PCs and a widescreen telly and it still wouldn’t use as much energy as those bulbs.
“I have now replaced them with similar LED bulbs and have found that 3.5 watt bulbs are just as bright and cost about a tenth of the price to run. I’m now using 21 watts instead of 300 watts. That’s why I am so glad I got the smart meter.” Smart meters are crucial building blocks for a more efficient, greener and smarter energy system. Reliable energy supplies are essential for modern life and, in order to meet the energy needs of the future, we need a flexible, digital energy system.
Thanks to the data collected by smart meters, electricity distributors will have more accurate figures on Great Britain’s energy use, and in turn will be able to better match energy supply with demand, guaranteeing essential power to homes.
On top of this, smart meters are enabling the development of time-of-use-tariffs, which charge different rates at certain times of night or day to encourage us to use less energy at peak times. And in the near future, the development of smart technology will enable appliances to automatically make use of these tariffs, without the need for the consumer to be involved.
For instance, consumers could programme their washing machine to turn on at the cheapest time or electric vehicles could be set to charge automatically when the sun is out.