Rugby’s Max: It’s time to think Smart
More than 730,000 Scottish households now have a smart meter – despite claims that big energy companies are misleading customers about the installation programme.
The latest major supplier to flood customers with correspondence is Eon. It has been firing off letters stating “we need to change your meters” – even though the devices are not yet compulsory.
The campaign has angered some consumers, who say the wording used is at best misleading.
But the latest figures show 81,000 households in Glasgow are already equipped with a smart meter.
Smart Energy GB, the body tasked with highlighting their benefits, has now signed up Scotland rugby star Max Evans as an ambassador for the programme.
The former Dancing On Ice contestant said he uses his smart meter to monitor his energy use in the same way as his Fitbit allows him to track his heart rate, steps, calories burned and sleep quality.
“Smart meters are basically like a fitness tracker for your household energy,” he said.
“Being able to see your energy use as you go also means you can make choices that will reduce energy waste.
“I was brought up in an environmentally-conscious household, so it was a no-brainer for me.”
However, critics point out the cost of the rollout is still climbing.
Public spending watchdog the National Audit Office has said the bill will rise to an estimated £11.5 billion by the end of 2030 – £500m more than the last government estimate in 2016.
In response, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has said it will look again at how much its smart meter programme will cost and a report will be made public this summer.