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6 | 18TH - 24TH SEPTEMBER 2015 | UTILITY WEEK People & Opinion Britain's getting smarter The general public is already becoming aware of the benefits of smart meters. Chief executive's view Sacha Deshmukh, Smart Energy GB T he upgrade of our national energy infrastructure is well under way, and nearly two million smart meters have now been installed across the length and breadth of Great Britain. Between now and 2020, eve- ryone in England, Scotland and Wales will have the opportunity to upgrade to a smart meter, and where consumers have already done so they demonstrate higher levels of satisfaction and energy awareness – 84 per cent of people with a smart meter told us they would recommend them to their friends, family or neighbours. The high rate of satisfaction with smart meters is the head- line of the latest wave of Smart Energy Outlook, the largest inde- pendent barometer of public opinion and attitudes towards energy and smart meters. On behalf of Smart Energy GB, Populus captured the views of more than 10,000 people and the results, published on 5 Sep- tember, show the public embrac- ing this essential upgrade to our national energy infrastructure. Even in this relatively early stage of the rollout, a number of positive themes have emerged. Awareness of the technology is increasing – already, nearly one in four people know that smart meters bring an end to estimated bills, show energy use in pounds and pence, and are fitted by energy suppliers. And those with smart meters are consistently more satisfied with their energy supplier and their bills when compared to consumers still using analogue meters. More importantly, and in light of the provisional CMA findings published recently, smart meters will I believe have a large part to play as part of any set of policies to restore trust and engage con- sumers as a competitive force within the energy market – by delivering billing transparency and the ability to shop around for the best supplier and tariffs available. The research also confirms that consumers, when presented with real-time information on their energy usage and the cost, in pounds and pence, take steps to reduce their consumption. Seventy-nine per cent of smart meter users said that they are more conscious about the energy they use, and the same num- ber had taken practical steps to reduce their usage such as turning down the heating or by changing the way in which they use household appliances. The way in which consum- ers with smart meters feel about their bills is transforming and there is growing confidence in the accuracy of bills. Nearly four in five (79 per cent) of those with smart meters agreed that they think their bill is accurate, whereas this figure drops to just 59 per cent of those without a smart meter. It is clear from the real expe- riences our research has cap- tured that people with smart meters feel more informed and in greater control of their house- hold energy consumption. Great Britain is getting smarter as consumers switch on to the benefits that smart meters can bring – the challenge for Smart Energy GB will be to con- tinue to build on this positive outlook, so that every individual and microbusiness from Aber- deen to Aberystwyth, including those with potential barriers to accessing the technology, has the information they need to get their smart meter and use it to transform the way in which they buy and use gas and electricity in their homes. Sacha Deshmukh will speak at Utility Week's Congress, 14-15 October. For more information: www.uw-congress.net "Some landlords may prefer prepayment meters but they shouldn't be able to force their tenants to pay higher tariff prices for their convenience." Gillian Cooper, head of retail energy markets, Citizens Advice. For more on switching rates in the domestic rental market see p24. The Utility Week Awards Entry for the Utility Week Awards 2015 is now closed. The shortlist will be announced on 9 October and the awards will be presented at a gala dinner with entertainment on 14 December at the Grosvenor Hotel, Park Lane, London. To book your table: www.utilityweekawards.co.uk