Ann McKechin MP says thousands of people in Glasgow will benefit from the smart meter roll-out that comes a step closer this week. The government has set out the options for installing the revolutionary kit in homes across Great Britain and on what the smart meters should be capable of doing. 

 Smart meters will mean:

• No more estimated bills
• No more waiting for the meter man
• More info to help with cutting energy use, saving money and reducing your carbon footprint.

 Smart meters enable meter readings to be taken remotely and together with a display device give householders real time information on their energy use. In trials some households estimate they have saved as much as 10% off their bills by changing the way they use energy and cutting back when rates are at their highest.

Commenting on the carbon and money saving potential of the meters, Ann McKechin MP said;

"Smart meters will change the energy consuming habits of us all.

"When we get a smart meter - the chance to see the cost per unit as we use it - I'm positive that people will take the initiative and become much more energy efficient.

“Smart meters will offer real help to people looking to save energy and that means saving money too” 

“The more information you have about the energy you use, the more chance you have to use it more wisely, cut back where you don’t need to and switch to cheaper tariffs. Smart meters are good news for everyone who wants to save money and cut back on CO2 emissions which cause climate change. ”

The move on Smart Meters is backed by the Energy Retail Association wich has been campaigning for this. The Government published the plans for getting smart meters into every home across the UK by the end of 2020 yesterday (11 May).  Britain will be the first country in the world to have an overhaul of this size for both electricity and gas meters. 

What are smart meters and why is it important?

• Smart meters are the next generation of electricity and gas meters. They will bring about the end of estimated bills and meter readings, and provide customers and energy suppliers with accurate information on the amount of electricity and gas being used. They will also provide the platform for the development of a much greater choice in energy tariffs and services for all homes. In short, smart meters would empower consumers to make informed choices about how much energy they use.
• Delivering smart meters would require major investment and an ambitious home visit programme: 45 million domestic meters would have to be replaced throughout Britain. Smart meters also require the installation of a two-way communication system between smart meters and energy suppliers. Real-time information on energy consumption and cost is then available to both the consumer and to the energy supplier.
• Smart meters would be a huge technological and social transformation on a par with decimalisation, the provision of North Sea gas to homes and the introduction of chip and PIN. At the end of 10 years every home in Britain would have a 100 per cent accurate method of energy billing.