Smart meters for every home - WWF Scotland comment
2 December 2009
Commenting on today's (Wednesday 2 December) Government announcement [1] that every home will have smart energy meters by the end of 2020 Elizabeth Leighton, Senior Policy Officer at WWF Scotland said:
"At long last homeowners will be given the technology to understand and manage their energy usage. International experience shows that smart meters can lead to a 5 to 10 per cent reduction of home energy use. We challenge energy companies to install the meters before the 2020 deadline and give homeowners the ability to reduce their carbon footprints and save on their energy bills.
“We also challenge the Scottish Government to roll-out a nation-wide retrofit programme to give homeowners the means to make their homes more energy efficient. Street-by-street schemes, available to all must be rolled out across Scotland without delay if we are to meet our targets for carbon emissions reduction and eradication of fuel poverty.”
Last week, Scottish Government figures releaved that over 600,000 Scottish households were suffering from fuel proverty and struggling to pay energy bills. [2]
Earlier this week, WWF Scotland and the Energy Agency published ‘Achieving our Potential’ - a report showing the effectiveness of an area-based, non-means-tested approach to tackling fuel poverty and reducing energy demand from homes in Scotland. [3] The groups say that such a programme could work with the Energy Assistance Package and would result in higher take up of measures and be more cost effective in administering.
As homes account for one third of Scotland’s carbon emissions, taking action to improve the energy efficiency of Scotland’s housing stock would go a long way to helping Scotland achieve the ambitious 42 per cent cut in carbon emissions set out in the Scottish Climate Change Act.
Notes to Editors
[1] The UK Government today announced that:
- All homes will have smart meters from their supplier by end of 2020
- Smart energy use will save consumers money, make electricity use more efficient and cut carbon emissions
- The case for developing smart grids in the UK is also being published.
- £6 million to develop smart technology
See: http://nds.coi.gov.uk/clientmicrosite/Content/Detail.aspx?ClientId=416&NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=409186&SubjectId=36
[2] Scottish House Condition Survey Key Findings 2008 was placed on the Scottish Government website on Thursday 26 November. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/11/23090958/0
[3] Achieving our Potential http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/report_v_5.pdf. This is a joint WWF and Energy Agency report, produced with support from the Ashden Trust and Scottish and Southern Energy
The report analysed the success of three area-based schemes in Girvan and Hadyard Hill in South Ayrshire and Fintry, Stirlingshire. The analysis showed that these schemes were highly successful at reaching the fuel poor (reducing fuel poverty by up to 26%); increasing annual disposable income in these communities; on average achieving a 19% reduction in emissions, and all at less than half the cost of the Warm Deal, the government fuel poverty scheme at that time.
For more information on the Energy Agency: http://www.energyagency.org.uk
[4] WWF Scotland is part of Stop Climate Chaos, an alliance of development, environment and civil society groups aiming for tougher action to reduce emissions - http://stopclimatechaosscotland.org
SCCS will be helping organise a Climate Change march in Glasgow on the 5th December, 2009.
