Smart meter owners “more engaged” with energy usage than those without

People who have upgraded to a smart meter are “more engaged” with their energy consumption than those still using old-fashioned, analogue energy meters, a new study has found.

The Smart meters and energy usage report, published by Smart Energy GB, found that this level of engagement increases over time, with those who have had a smart meter for longer “doing the most energy-saving activities”.

In particular, smart meter owners are more likely to have “looked into or talked about energy use”, showing intent for longer term behaviour change. They are also more likely to “think about, keep track of, and understand their energy usage”, with this engagement translating into energy-saving action.

The report additionally finds that those without a smart meter want to monitor their energy use more in the future and this often translates into wanting to get a smart meter.

The research is based on a survey of 2,005 people in May and June 2018, who were asked about their energy use. Nearly 12.8 million smart meters have been installed in Great Britain allowing households to conduct more energy saving activities on average than those without one.

Significantly, the smart energy system enabled by smart meters will potentially save Great Britain up to £40 billion between now and 2050 in terms of network and infrastructure costs, according to the latest official estimates. Meanwhile, the government calculates that smart meters could help save consumers more than £1.2 million per year on their energy bills by 2020.

Commenting on the report, Robert Cheesewright, Director of Corporate Affairs at Smart Energy GB said:

“It’s clear that smart meters are helping millions of people across Great Britain to better understand their energy usage. As this report shows, smart meters encourage people to change their behaviour around the home to be more energy efficient, more environmentally friendly and better off financially with reduced energy bills.

“Getting a smart meter is a small but important step that everyone can take for a cleaner, greener, smarter Britain.”