eWeek Europe UK: Consumers Demand Minimum Smart Meter Standards

With a 2020 target set for smart meter roll out to UK households and businesses, organisations including the Energy Saving Trust are pushing for minimum standards for the devices

Research by the Energy Saving Trust into the optimum design for in-home smart displays has revealed that consumers want the devices to have clear visual displays which show real-time electricity or gas consumption.

According to the report, The Smart Way To Display, released this week from the government funded organisation, the government should mandate minimum specifications for smart meters which include visual displays which show the rate at which energy is being used in watts or kilowatts per day.

The report was based on interviews with consumers who also stated that the meters should show the cumulative spend per day and the ability to compare to historic information on spending. The UK has been investigating the potential of smart metering and has set a target of rolling out the technology to all households by 2020 based on wider European targets.

“The roll out of smart meters offers a unique chance to improve consumer understanding of energy consumption and encourage more energy efficient behaviour, and our research has shown the importance of displays in making consumers more conscious of their day to day energy consumption," said Philip Sellwood, chief executive of Energy Saving Trust.

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