Britain’s smart meter rollout is the biggest change to our country’s energy infrastructure in a generation. This vital upgrade to an outdated, analogue system is creating a decentralised and decarbonised energy network which can help Britain meet its climate change targets, whilst also ensuring customers receive reliable, sustainable and cost-effective energy now and in the future.
We’re already seeing how smart meters are helping us take control of our energy use at home. But, on a national level, the information provided by smart meters – which give near real-time information on our energy usage – will help drive a deeper transformation of our energy system, and one which could save Britain billions each year.
A smarter economy
One of the problems with our current energy system is that it simply can’t map the demands from homes and businesses accurately, so a lot of energy goes to waste. By contrast, a smart energy system, enabled by smart meters, is fully digital and uses information and communications technology to monitor and actively balance energy supply and demand in near-real time.
This means a much more accurate understanding of where energy is being used and when, so network operators can distribute energy in the most green and cost-effective way. This, in turn, brings significant financial and environmental benefits for consumers, the system and the wider economy.
A study for the Government estimates that, by 2050, the benefits of a smart energy system could be up to £40bn a year.
Some of these savings will come from the money we would have had to spend on maintaining our outdated system to keep up with changes in how we use energy (in particular the extra demand electric vehicles will place on our system).
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