Consumer impacts of smart meters

The potential consumer benefits from smart meters are considerable. However, any smart meter roll-out will raise significant issues from the consumer perspective. Domestic smart meters could play a central role in helping consumers to improve control over their energy use. The potential benefits for consumers are considerable - improved retail competition, accurate bills, more consumer friendly methods of prepayment and the chance to reduce consumption through better feedback. However, the commercial, technical and logistical requirements, of smart metering, including information and communications campaigns to ensure consumer acceptance, mean that the pitfalls could also be considerable. Particular concerns could include data protection, treatment of vulnerable households, potential for remote disconnection, marketing and complexity of tariffs Additional costs to customers should be minimised and the benefits flowing to consumers should be maximised. A successful smart meter roll-out will be achieved by energy suppliers working sensitively to meet their customers' needs. This presentation outlines these issues as they relate to Great Britain.