Kirsty Williams calls on Westminster to wake up to Smart agenda

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 3rd Jul 2008

Kirsty with Smart Meter

Welsh Liberal Democrats are stepping up their campaign on Smart Meters, calling for the Government to act now to cut emissions and rising costs of utility bills in all homes.

Taking practical action, Lib Dem AMs have used a Smart Meter in their office to highlight the efficiency of these revolutionary meters and urge the Government to wake up to the Smart agenda before it's too late (see picture in notes).

Kirsty Williams AM for Brecon and Radnorshire said: "The Energy Bill is now going through the House of Lords, but there is still no actual mandate to enable a UK wide roll-out of Smart Meters. This is yet another likely instance of the Government dithering at the wrong time. It is vital that the Westminster Government takes this golden opportunity to take a key step forward towards securing the future of Smart Meters, by supporting this crucial amendment in the Energy Bill.

"When using the smart meter I was surprised by how much energy everyday items use. The Smart Meter clearly shows how much energy an appliance is using, much it costs and how many carbon emissions it produces. I attached the Smart Meter to a hair dryer and was shocked to see that it used 1.82KW of energy and cost 18.27p per hour.

"Having this information on the amount of energy they are using would not only encourage people to be more environmentally conscious when buying new products by choosing more energy efficient devices, but by communicating directly with the supplier Smart Meters would provide more accurate bills which can help tackle rising fuel poverty.

"The meters also showed the amount of carbon emissions produced, so I could clearly see the cost to the environment as well as to my pocket. Smart Meters can support micro-generation as they allow customers to export any surplus micro-generated power back to the electricity grid, which would encourage the use of these technologies and help reduce carbon emissions from the domestic sector.

"Smart Meters are a technological revolution and by making people clearly aware of their own household energy use, they are the next big step in heightening energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. They could help cut energy use by 3 to 15% and prevent over 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions entering the atmosphere each year.

"These devices offer an opportunity to tackle fuel poverty and climate change, and if the ambition to have all homes fitted with Smart Meters is to be achieved, then the Westminster Government must be bold and lead the way as the process of planning must start sooner rather than later."

Duncan Sedgwick, Chief Executive of the Energy Retail Association which has been campaigning for a roll-out of Smart Meters across the UK, adds:

"I was very pleased with the continued support from the Welsh Liberal Democrats, when we met in the Senedd recently, for the industry campaign to introduce smart meters. They will make it much easier for energy suppliers to help customers identify their energy use patterns, which are different for all of us, and then to set tariffs for customers that suit their own use. We are hoping that the Government will agree to give the industry the green light to start the process for the roll-out of Smart Meters later this year."

Notes:

The Smart Meter kit demonstrated in the photos was lent to the Welsh Liberal Democrats by the Energy Retail Association (ERA), which has been calling on the Government to provide a clear timetable for a decision on smart meters and to mandate their roll-out across Britain. For more information visit http://www.energy-retail.org.uk/smartmeters.html or contact Mari James on 029 20 504883.