Smart meters are being rolled out by the British government as the next generation of gas and electricity meters. Using a wireless network, they show customers across the country how much energy they’re using, thereby helping to replace estimated bills. The aim is to make life easier for British energy consumers, including the installation process. Thus far, smart meters in the UK have enjoyed a 94 percent approval rate, but it has also helped to identify more than 270,000 pre-existing safety issues in UK homes.
In a new video, npower has teamed up with comedian Mark Watson to show consumers what happens during a smart meter installation. The power is switched off for around half an hour while an engineer installs the new smart meter. The installer also carries out safety checks on appliances and an electrical safety check at the point of supply, before finally showing the householder how it all works.
Smart meters are an essential part of the plan for British decarbonisation, as they will help to transform the grid, making it much more able to cope with the influx of renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind, among others, thereby helping to drive down British greenhouse gas emissions and tackle the challenge of stopping and reversing global warming.
Despite problems with the initial SMETS1 smart meters, the government is now rolling out the improved SMETS2 smart meter, and has plans to open a new network communication centre in order to help resolve the problems with the earlier SMETS1 models.
In order to help transform Britain’s ageing national grid and decarbonise, the government is appealing to consumers to agree to have a smart meter installed in their homes.
For additional information:
