Smart metering to shrink carbon footprints

The UK government is relying on smart metering to play a key role in cutting the UK's carbon emissions, according to the energy minister.

Smart meters enable the real-time transmission of energy readings to utilities companies so an individual customer's usage can be accurately monitored without the need for manual meter readings.

The technology also enables data to be sent from the utility to the customer, meaning tariffs can be changed dynamically, for instance during periods of peak usage, in order to encourage reduced consumption.

The government has launched a three-month consultation of energy metering and billing, following the publication of its Energy White Paper, back in May.

The consultation is seeking expert views on energy-saving proposals set out in the White Paper and how they can best be implemented, including plans for all but the smallest businesses to have smart meters installed over the next five years.

Energy minister Malcolm Wicks said in a statement: "It is vital that we make best use of this emerging technology that will not only help cut our energy use but reduce our bills too."

Other proposals being consulted on include plans for electricity suppliers to provide real-time visual display units - which enable customers to monitor their own energy use - on any new meters fitted from next year and to all households that request them between 2008 and 2010, and to put more detailed information about power consumption on bills to help people reduce usage.

A report by analyst Datamonitor recently predicted massive growth in smart metering over the next five years in Europe and the US, as energy companies overhaul their infrastructure in line with energy-saving political priorities.

SAP CEO Henning Kagermann has also been talking up the benefits of smart metering. Speaking to silicon.com at a recent press briefing last month, he said: "We have a big debate about climate change these days and big demand for energy efficiency. The smart direction is to come to an efficient energy market. We can get an efficient energy market by making the meter smart... so that we can on an hourly or on a per-second basis match supply and demand."

The government recently announced energy-saving trials that will run for two years involving 40,000 households - 15,000 of which will trial smart meters.