Voluntary smart meter roll-out a wake-up call for consumers to be put at the scheme’s heart

Wednesday, 01 February 2012

Following DECC confirmation of Government assurances that it will be voluntary rather than compulsory for households to have a smart energy meter fitted, Zoe McLeod, energy expert at Consumer Focus, said:

‘It is welcome that the Government has clarified that customers have a choice over whether they have a smart meter or not. Smart meters have big potential benefits, such as helping customers to cut their energy use and ending estimated bills. But there are also potential concerns which must be addressed.

‘The energy industry and Government must win over the hearts and minds of customers if they can opt-out of having a smart meter. This clarification should be a wake-up call for suppliers to genuinely put customers at the heart of their rollout plans, if they are to succeed. People need to know that the concerns they have, for example over data-privacy, are addressed, so the benefits are seen as valuable enough to make this change.

‘It is important that customers with concerns should be able to choose to have a smart meter and access the benefits that come with it, but have options to control what data they share. Consumers will also need to know if they will have to pay more to have a traditional meter as is the case in other countries.’