Smart Energy Technologies for All British Homes

Britain is set to embrace new smart energy technologies, it emerged on December 2nd 2009.  Its new smart energy system should light up a path towards a low carbon society where vast wind farms, electric cars and energy efficient technologies are favoured.  Announcing the measure, the British government linked the smart meters directly to the country’s national CO2 emission reduction goals. 

Smart Meters

Smart meters display energy consumption data in real-time, allowing those who own them to keep on track as regards both energy usage and finances.  Smart grids, meanwhile, display energy data related to demand and production. Both technologies are now set to feature within Britain’s new energy plan, which sees smart meters being fitted into every home over the coming decade. 

The cost associated with this upgrade – according to DECC (the Department of Energy and Climate Change) – will be in the region of £8.6bn (there are approximately 47 million traditional meters to be replaced).

“Smart grids will help manage the massive shift to low carbon electricity such as wind, nuclear and clean fossil fuels”, Lord Hunt - Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change – explained.  “Globally the business of developing smart grids has been estimated at 27 billion pounds over the next 5 years and the UK has the know-how to be part of that”, he added.

Smart Gas and Electric Meters

DECC stressed that the onus would be on the utility firms to make sure that all British homes were equipped with smart gas and electric meters by December 31st 2020.

Smart meters are viewed as the beginning of a progression towards smart grids, and may lower the demand for energy by limiting the electricity provided to items that don’t need to be constantly drawing on power, like battery-equipped laptops and washing machines.

Utility firms and environmental figures alike responded favourably to the UK smart energy announcement.  “A radical overhaul of the electricity system is desperately needed to help cut UK emission... smart meters and the new smart grid have a key role to play in achieving this”, Friends of the Earth’s executive director, Andy Atkins, stated.

See also:

Obama's Multi-Billion Smart Electricity Investment

Smart Electricity Meters to Lower Amsterdam Emissions