Welsh Lib Dems call on Westminster to wake up to Smart agenda

10.39.49am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 3rd Jul 2008

Jenny Randerson hopes the Westminster Government will introduce Smart Meters more widely

Welsh Liberal Democrats are stepping up their campaign on Smart Meters, calling for the Government to act now to cut emissions and rising cost of utility bills in all homes.

Taking practical action, Welsh Lib Dem AMs have used a Smart Meter in their office to highlight the efficiency of these revolutionary meters and urge the Government to wake up to the Smart agenda before it's too late (see picture).

Jenny Randerson, Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for Cardiff Central, said, "The Energy Bill is now going through the House of Lords, but there is still no actual mandate to enable a UK wide roll-out of Smart Meters. This is yet another likely instance of the Government dithering at the wrong time. It is vital that the Westminster Government takes this golden opportunity to take a key step forward towards securing the future of Smart Meters, by supporting this crucial amendment in the Energy Bill.

"Having a Smart Meter in my office today, I was surprised to learn how much energy everyday items use. The Smart Meter clearly showed how much energy I was using, how much it cost and how many carbon emissions were being produced. I attached the Smart Meter to a hairdryer and was shocked to see that it used 1.82KW of energy and cost 18.27p per hour.

"Having accurate information on the amount of energy they are using would not only encourage people to be more environmentally conscious when buying new products by choosing more energy efficient devices, but by communicating directly with the supplier Smart Meters provide more accurate bills which can help tackle rising fuel poverty.

"The meters also showed the amount of carbon emissions being produced, so I could clearly see the cost to the environment as well as to the pocket. Smart Meters can support micro-generation as they allow customers to export any surplus micro-generated power back to the electricity grid, which would encourage the use of these technologies and help reduce carbon emissions from the domestic sector.

"Smart Meters are a technological revolution and by making people clearly aware of their own household energy use, they are the next big step in heightening energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. They could help cut energy use by 3 to 15% and prevent over 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions entering the atmosphere each year.

"These devices offer an opportunity to tackle fuel poverty and climate change, and if the ambition to have all homes fitted with Smart Meters is to be achieved, then the Westminster Government must be bold and lead the way as the process of planning must start sooner rather than later."

Duncan Sedgwick, Chief Executive of the Energy Retail Association which has been campaigning for a roll-out of Smart Meters across the UK, adds:

"I was very pleased with the continued support from the Welsh Liberal Democrats, when we met in the Senedd recently, for the industry campaign to introduce smart meters. They will make it much easier for energy suppliers to help customers identify their energy use patterns, which are different for all of us, and then to set tariffs for customers that suit their own use. We are hoping that the Government will agree to give the industry the green light to start the process for the roll-out of Smart Meters later this year."

End / Diwedd

Notes:

The Smart Meter kit demonstrated in the photos was lent to the Welsh Liberal Democrats by the Energy Retail Association (ERA), which has been calling on the Government to provide a clear timetable for a decision on smart meters and to mandate their roll-out across Britain. For more information visit http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/smartmeters.html or contact Mari James on 07981625726.

The Energy Bill passes through Committee stage, day 5 in the House of Lords today (July 2nd 2008).

What is a Smart Meter?

Smart meters are electric or gas meters that measure the exact amount of energy being used by a building. Smart meters are able to transmit this information to energy suppliers, avoiding the need for house calls to read meters.

They display the energy being used in pounds and pence so customers can see at-a-glance how much energy they are using, a task much more easily accomplished than the electricity display devices (EDD) which display energy use in kilowatt hours.