4:42pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008
By Richard Garfield
PIONEERING smart metering is being trialled in Basingstoke by Southern Electric.
Local residents are among the first householders in the South to use the next generation of electricity and gas meters.
The meters provide customers with real-time information about all the energy they are using in their homes, how much it is costing and the impact they are having on the environment.
Stephen Millward, energy efficiency manager for Southern Electric, said in the longer term, the meters will bring about the end of estimated bills and meter readings.
He said for the first time, real-time energy readings will be available to customers on a hand-held display and possibly on their computer or mobile phone, helping them to learn more about their energy consumption and make better informed choices about tariffs.
Over recent weeks, smart meters have been installed in more than 100 homes in Basingstoke and 2,000 will be rolled-out throughout central southern England over the summer.
Customers have already been identified to ensure that this is a representative cross-section of the community involved in the two-year trial. The project is being backed by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
Mr Millward said: "We firmly believe there must be radical changes in the way energy is produced and consumed.
"Ongoing investment in green energy needs to be balanced with the development of new technology that gives customers practical help to reduce their energy consumption.
"Smart meters are a clear example of this and I hope that within 10 years, every household in the south of England will have one."
Customers are able to view a display monitor, which they can position anywhere in their home. This shows them how much energy is currently being used in kilowatts, how much it costs and even what it equates to in CO2 emissions.
A "traffic light" guidance light glows green if energy use is low, amber if medium and red if high - a clever reminder to turn off unwanted appliances, particularly at night. The monitor also shows how much energy has been used in the past day, week, month and year in both energy and money terms.
The actual meter, the brains of the equipment, will be located in the usual place in the home, for example under the stairs or by the front door. This transmits the information via radio waves to the display device, as well as back to Southern Electric's offices.
Bev Keogh, Southern Electric's customer service centre manager, said: "As part of the trial, customers' energy readings will be fed directly back to us. This will enable us to provide regular updates to customers on how much energy they are using, including when their consumption is highest.
"We have a specialist team in place to help and support customers and assist with any queries they may have to help them reduce their energy demand.
"We will also hold focus groups and face-to-face interviews to obtain feedback and see whether people have been encouraged to use energy more efficiently."
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