A SMARTER FUTURE: THE SMART ENERGY SYSTEM REVOLUTION
We've got smart TVs, smart phones and even smart motorways. Now it's the turn of our energy system to get smarter.
What is a smart energy system?
As part of an exciting energy revolution that's under way in Great Britain, a new smart energy system is being developed that will use digital technology to actively monitor what electricity the country needs, when it needs it - then suppliers can generate enough to meet demand.
Smart meters are key to a modern smart energy system because they'll gather the information the energy networks require to react to the amount of energy needed.
This will help the energy system better manage the supply and demand of energy to reduce waste, and also shift energy usage away from traditional peak times – which are currently reliant on fossil fuel energy – and make more use of renewables.
So, just by having a smart meter installed, you will help us to reduce our carbon emissions as a nation, even without making changes to how you use energy at home.
Why do we need one?
Our current energy system simply can’t map the demands from homes and businesses accurately, so a lot of energy goes to waste.
A smart energy system, working with smart meters, will help reduce waste because it will know precisely where to direct our valuable resources.
For example, if London's energy use peaks between 8pm and 10pm, and Newcastle's peaks between 7pm and 9pm, then resources can be redistributed to reflect this.
A smart solution
By upgrading to a smart meter you're helping to move Britain towards a cleaner, greener, lower-carbon economy.
- Find out more about how smart meters can help reduce your carbon footprint
Helping us be smarter with our energy
Smart meters are having a positive impact on how people use energy, with nearly three quarters saying they're doing more to save energy since getting one.1
Sarah, a mum of two from Chelmsford, says her boys no longer leave their gaming consoles on standby and she always makes sure they turn the lights off. By making a few changes around the house, she's seen significant savings on her gas and electricity bills.
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My name is Sarah, I live in Chelmsford with my two boys, in a three bedroom house. I've had my smart meter for three years now.
Since having the smart meter I feel like I’ve got a lot more control over how much I spend. I know when I’m running low on gas, low on electric, and know when we need to top up.
Because it’s turned a little bit chilly lately, I’ve decided to top the gas up more than normal, so I’ve noticed my spend on the gas has gone up slightly more than it would have maybe in the summer months.
Because I know how much my heating is costing me, I can really stay on top of what I’m spending.
Since having a smart meter I think I've saved the family about £20 per month by constantly checking, making sure I know what's on, what's not, telling my son to turn the lights off, to turn the TV off before he goes to bed, game consoles, and that has turned into us saving money as a family, by just being more conscientious of what we’re doing.
I would absolutely recommend a smart meter to everybody. They're brilliant!
Positive incentive to use energy outside peak times will help us as a nation balance supply with demand without having to build and generate more dirty and expensive energy. The National Infrastructure Commission say that a truly smart energy system could save the nation £8bn each year!
1Sourced from Populus, Smart energy outlook March 2019, smartenergyGB.org
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- Mythbusting smart meter problems - we set the record straight on some key smart meter concerns.