Friday 10 May 2019

Meeting climate goals ‘will be slow, hard and costly without smart meters’

Meeting the UK's climate change targets will be slower, harder and more expensive without smart meters.

That's according to new research published by Smart Energy GB, which says the devices are an essential part of a flexible, decentralised and decarbonised energy system, which is needed to help integrate variable renewables onto the grid and balance supply and demand.

The study suggests domestic smart meters will cut carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter before 2035 from 2015 levels - as energy use in homes currently accounts for 14% of the entire country's greenhouse gas emissions, this would be a significant improvement.

It also suggests smart meters are likely to enable high levels of electrification in the transport sector and in doing so deliver a 54% carbon dioxide reduction by the same date, and notes they could save a massive 77% of emissions from electricity generation by supporting variable generation such as wind and solar.

The organisation warns if smart meters are not widely employed, there will be a greater reliance on higher risk carbon dioxide reduction strategies and as a result, a higher risk of not achieving green targets.

Robert Cheesewright, Director of Corporate Affairs at Smart Energy GB, said: "We have never been more aware of our impact on the planet.

"It’s time we all contribute towards making the simple upgrade to a smart meter that has the potential to save millions of tonnes of carbon from being released into the atmosphere."