Got a story? Ring us on 01732 748041 or e-mail twood@unity-media.com INDUSTRYWATCH How smart are smart meters? Roger Webb, director at HHIC, talks about smart meters and what will it mean for us... The talk of smart meters continues, anyone working within the industry will have heard about them and are now perhaps wondering what impact they will have on us. Well, if truth be told, the effect is likely to be much greater on electricity than gas and of course it is mainly gas that is used to heat homes today. We all understand why the government is keen on smart metering; for the householder it provides a mechanism for providing real-time feedback on energy usage and most importantly on cost. This new generation of meters will also do away with estimated billing meaning that consumers will only pay for the energy they are actually consuming. CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR The other great hope for smart meters is that they will act as a catalyst in changing consumer behaviour, the argument being that if you can see what energy you are actually using and more importantly how much you are paying for it, you are more likely to try to reduce the amount you are using. A reasonable argument and one that becomes strengthened when considering the younger generation who have grown up so gadget dependent and think nothing of watching TV, updating their Facebook status while tweeting their opinions to the wider world. For electricity consumption, smart meters will have the intended impact. If people are able to see the money rolling around, like on a petrol pump, each time they turn on the tumble dryer then they might be persuaded to use the trusty old washing line, weather permitting. Whether this change in behaviour is sustainable however, I doubt it. There is also much debate about the WWW.HPMMAG.COM availability of time of use tariffs and many households are accustomed to the Economy 7 tariff. Smart meters may help encourage people to run electrical appliances at times when low cost tariffs are available but in reality we also need smart appliances which will do this automatically. SMART READING What about smart gas meters? Well they operate on exactly the same premise - you see exactly what you are consuming and how much it costs in real time. But unlike our tumble dryer analogy, what is the real alternative to turning on your gas central heating? The amount of energy used for heating a home can vary from day to day depending on the weather and how the home is being used. Because of this instantaneous readings from a smart meter might not be too helpful. However what they can do is provide average readings over a period of time and this can help show the impact of energy saving measures so you might think again about home insulation, or draught proofing your front door. But gas usage in the home, unlike electricity, is primarily used for cooking and heating - things that are essential. Making changes to gas use in the home requires more investment on behalf of the homeowner than simply flicking a switch to turn off the lights in an unused room. Seeing gas consumption on a meter real time may cause some consumers to consider more regular servicing of their boiler or indeed nudge people to look at replacing their boiler for a more efficient model, but will it cause a large scale move away from gas as the preferred method of home heating? It is unlikely that smart meters on their own will result in such a switch but making information about energy use more accessible will help make households better informed about alternative heating options and better prepared to take advantage of government schemes and incentives such as the Green Deal and Renewable Heat Incentive. When considering the roll out of smart meters, you should also be mindful of the fact that as of now, having a smart meter installed into your home remains your choice - it isn’t mandatory. So if I get to choose, who will inform me and educate me about the benefits of having this new generation meter? Currently this falls to the main energy suppliers, although there are other websites available, if the consumer takes the time to look at them. FINDING THE TIME The biggest challenge facing the smart meter roll out programme is finding time to install the meter. How many times do you return home from work to find a card pushed through your door saying that you have missed the meter reader and please could you ring through your reading? Well if we are never at home for the meter reader, will we be happy to schedule a few hours off work to have a meter fitted that actually we are under no obligation to have, I don’t think so. And there, cutting through all of the talk of smart meters lays the biggest problem with the programme - the onus is ultimately on us the consumer. As with all energy efficiency measures it will be down to how much real interest a consumer has in their energy use and what, if any, action they are prepared to take. For further information on the HHIC, contact Roger Webb at: roger@hhic.org.uk An iPad For your chance to win this prize, simply enquire to answer A or B in response to this question: Installers can use the iPad from the comfort of what? A: Their van B: Their aeroplane More and more installers are using smartphones and tablet computers to run their business on the go, so Plumb and Parts Center are giving away a brand new iPad as a Christmas treat. The lucky winner can use their new iPad to check emails, look for products, place orders and find directions to jobs, all from the comfort of their van. And there’s plenty of great features in our Plumb Center and Parts Center apps, which you can download from the App Store - now that really is a decent stocking filler. PRIZE 4 Answer A 107 REMEMBER: enter all 12 competitions, and you could win the grand prize - the lot! Answer B 108 HPM’s Festive giveaway PRIZE 4 12 DECEMBER 2013 HEATING & PLUMBING MONTHLY
HPM December 2013
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