Call to make energy displays compulsory

The Energy Saving Trust (EST) is calling on the government to make it compulsory for utility companies to provide consumers with an energy display when they install smart meters in homes.

The roll out of smart meters across the country will enable a new level of two-way communication between energy companies and consumers and provide householders with the opportunity to monitor and control their energy usage at time of use as well as avoiding estimated bills.

However, the utilities companies have yet to commit to visual displays, which says the EST are one of the most powerful tools for consumers to keep track of how much energy they are using.

Research carried out by the EST shows that consumers are looking for simple displays which include a graphic indicator of the real-time rate of electricity and/or gas consumption, expressed in a rate of spend in pounds per day.

Philip Sellwood, chief executive of Energy Saving Trust, said: “The roll out of smart meters offers a unique chance to improve consumer understanding of energy consumption and encourage more energy efficient behaviour, and our research has shown the importance of displays in making consumers more conscious of their day to day energy consumption”.

He went on to say: “We believe that in-home displays should have minimum standards in order to ensure they are most effective for consumer use. We urge the government to stand by its preferred position of requiring smart meters to be accompanied by visual displays.”

Joel Hagan, chief executive of Onzo, providers of smart meters said: “Energy displays are certainly one of the most effective tools for reducing energy use. They deliver a reduction in usage of 12.8% - this being an average across all studies to date”.