The smart meters campaign

The ERA's members were delighted that, on 2 December 2009, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced that gas and electricity smart meters would be rolled out by energy suppliers to every home in Britain by the end of 2020.

The energy industry is already anticipating the next stages of planning the biggest change project in the energy market since the conversion to North Sea gas in the 1970s.

The announcement kick-started the preparations for smart meters in earnest with a central smart metering implementation programme under the auspices of DECC and Ofgem, the energy regulator.

History of the Smart Meter Campaign

The Look Smart coalition (2007)

In 2007, The Energy Retail Association teamed up with energywatch, the former consumer watchdog, and Utility Week as part of the Look Smart campaign in order to lobby for a mandate to roll out smart meters across Britain within 10 years. For more information on the Look Smart campaign, view the Mandate.

On 24 April 2008 the Government tabled amendments to the Energy Bill (New Clauses 8-10). These provide enabling powers for a universal domestic smart meter mandate to be brought forward at a later time, and set out the need to consult before these powers are enacted. The amendments were passed by the House of Commons at the third reading of the Energy Bill on the 30th April 2008.

Why is this happening now?

Climate change is high on the national agenda. The EU, the British government and the energy industry are looking for better and greener ways to produce and use energy. An important aspect in any attempt to tackle climate change is to promote energy efficiency in the home and smart meters are a key part of enabling consumers to use less energy. The Government has now completed their cost benefit analysis for rolling out smart meters across the country and has found a positive business case for doing this.