The government has plans to make sure that every property in the UK is fitted with a smart meter in an effort to help households both lower their carbon emissions through reduced energy consumption, and also
cut their electricity and gas bills.
However, with the date of completion for the roll-out set for 2020, consumers may wish to take action now if they wish to help the environment and lower their home energy bills.
But help is at hand for eco-conscious Britons, who could invest in similar technology to the smart meter now.
Get monitoring energy useSome UK companies are already providing products which do the job similar to smart meters, as well as providing avenues for home automation and control.
One such group producing the technology is Install Automation.
Managing Director of the group Adam Kent said that one problem Britons may currently be experiencing is through not knowing where they can make cuts to their home energy use.
"The thing is, at the moment, no one knows how much they're using. Would you walk into a shop, pick a load of clothes off the rack and say - can you send me the bill in three months, I have no idea how much this costs, you wouldn't," he explained.
He added that one key benefit of the technology is that it could allow people to reduce their gas and electricity bills by between 30 and 40 per cent.
This means that a household could look at their meter, switch off their lights and immediately see how much energy this action has saved.
Government help to get lower billsIn order to meet its carbon reduction targets, the government is keen to help Britons take action to reduce their home energy use, which has the added benefit of resulting in
lower annual electricity and gas bills.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change has announced that the UK will be the first country in the world to have an overhaul of this size for both electricity and gas meters.
And the roll-out is also aimed at making it easier to switch electricity and gas suppliers.
