Smart Meter Will Help Cut Energy Bills

Posted under Blog by Ruth

According to the results of a new pilot scheme, fitting smart meters into our homes could help households to cut down on their bills by over £100 each year.

Kettering Borough Council and E.ON energy suppliers teamed together to install dual-fuel smart metes in just under 500 homes, alongside monitors that help to give homeowners information on their energy use, gas and electricity costs, and carbon emissions from their homes.

The pilot scheme began 18 months ago, and showed homeowners how they could cut down on the energy they used by an average of 9%, which amounted to a yearly saving of £109 on gas and electricity bills.

Householders who participated in the scheme were given extra reasons to reduce how much energy they used, thanks to Kettering council offering to give a £100 council tax bill discount if they successfully reduced consumption.

Out of a total of 454 who participated, 365 managed to reduce their energy bills. One family were inspired to install cavity wall insulation and double glazing, and saw energy consumption reduce by 22% across twelve months, amounting in a £242 saving.

Michael George, part of a family who took part in the trial, stated that ‘the smart meter has helped us realise just how wasteful we were being with our energy’. He added that the family still do things the way they used to, but the major difference is that they turn things off once they are finished.