Smart meters are a new and updated version of gas and electricity meters. They are currently being installed in homes across Great Britain. The whole idea behind them is to make it easier to pay bills by displaying the amount of energy you use and how much you are spending in real time.

But it’s not as easy as it sounds to install new meters into every household in the country absolutely free of charge. DECC’s (Department of Energy & Climate Change) figures suggest that at the end of 2015 only 2.3 million meters were installed in smart mode out of a total of 51 million due to be installed by the end of 2020.

Julia Evans, Chief Executive of BSRIA, said: “This suggests a mountain still to climb, doubtless accompanied by avalanches of controversy about concerns both real and imagined – including costs and data protection.”

A report in April by the IoD (Institute of Directors) suggested that the UK’s smart meter installation plan be postponed and reviewed. The main concern is that the current generation of meters were not fit for purpose and that the government rushing into a rollout schedule while testing and evaluation were still happening.

Technology nowadays is advancing so fast, especially when it comes to smart access. More and more people are managing their households from their devices – smartphones, tablets etc. This means it is going to be difficult to get the scheme pinned down to meet everyone’s satisfaction.

Another report from the EU emphasises the fact that of the 27 countries that originally signed up the commitment of rolling out smart meters to 80% by the end of 2020 back in 2009, only 17 are on track. The UK is one of only nine that expect to reach 100 per cent.

However, if the UK votes to leave the EU, then this might all be academic. Although the scheme is pretty much down to the individual governments to execute as they please.

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