The rollout of smart meters has been called into question by a YouGov survey of British consumers, commissioned by home energy management company PassivSystems.
The online poll of 2085 adults, taken at the end of last month, suggests that seven out of 10 consumers (68 per cent) would not act on the information provided by
smart meters if they had them installed.
Smart meters give consumers and businesses comprehensive information about their energy consumption and its cost. They can reduce energy consumption by up to 10 per cent, but only if consumers act on the information provided by them.
The previous Government pledged to put a smart meter in every home by 2020 and the Coalition Government has said it will back the rollout of smart meters. The cost of putting a smart meter into every UK home is estimated at £9 billion.
PassivSystems, which has just launched its own UK home
energy management system PassivEnergy, this week, said smart meters did not put consumer needs’ first and could have little long-term effect on behaviour and energy consumption.
"You have to question whether smart meters warrant the £9 billion investment in getting them installed," said Colin Calder, ceo, PassivSystems. "Yes, they provide information on household energy use, but pointing the finger at a problem is not a solution. People lead such busy lives they do not have the time to act as their home’s energy manager and our research showed they want help, not information."
86 per cent of consumers forget to turn energy using equipment off in the home
The PassivSystems research also revealed that 86 per cent of Brits forget to do things such as turn the heating off overnight and leaving the hot water on whilst on holiday. This energy mismanagement means that British households could be wasting an average of £214.92 every year, the company said.
Current heating systems would also appear to be over complex, with the poll showing young people the least likely to know exactly how to programme their heating. More than two-thirds (67 per cent) of 18–24 year olds were unable to do so, compared to around half (47 per cent) overall.
Only nine per cent of Brits aware of impact of homes on carbon emissions
The survey also revealed the lack of awareness about the impact of household energy use on overall UK
carbon emissions, with just nine per cent of those polled believing emissions from private property were one of the three most significant contributors. UK households are in fact responsible for 29 per cent of all UK carbon emissions.
The Office for National Statistics has projected the average household energy bill is currently £1,194 and PassivSystems says the money wasted on energy mismanagement could be £214.92 for an average household with no basic heating controls.
"With 84 per cent of the energy used in the home coming from heating and hot water and consumers struggling with rising bills, it is clear that people need help in managing their energy," said Calder.
PassivSystems claims its energy management system can reduce energy bills in the home by up to 18 per cent.
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