Birmingham: Campaign for a cleaner, greener, smarter Britain rolls into Birmingham

•  Kirstie Allsopp, Phil Spencer and Susan Calman come to Dudley, near Birmingham to inspire us all to upgrade to a smart meter and save nearly £560 million* a year 
• Together, those in the West Midlands could save as much as £49.1 million** if each household joined the 585,694 West Midland households that have already had a smart meter installed

Property TV stars Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer and comedian Susan Calman are touring the country this summer to inspire Britain’s households to choose a smart meter. Today is the fourth stop on the tour visiting Merry Hill shopping centre in Dudley, near Birmingham, where the power trio will be talking to as many Brits as possible about the small but important step everyone can take for a cleaner, greener, smarter future that could also save nearly £560 million a year.

A smart meter could help households save enough energy each year to power their home for a week – the equivalent of watching your favourite property or dancing show on the telly non-stop for 147 days. If every household in Great Britain got a smart meter, we could save enough energy to power every household in Wolverhampton, Coventry, Walsall and Dudley for a year. Households can ask for a smart meter to be fitted by their energy supplier for free.

Potential for savings for selected cities or towns across the West Midlands:

Kirstie Allsopp said: “How can you know you are wasting energy if you can’t see it?  I believe if we all get smart meters, it will help make our country greener. My smart meter will be right up there with those things that I can’t imagine living without once I’ve spent enough time with it – a bit like Phil really.”

Phil Spencer said: “I’ve seen my fair share of exquisite 19^th century properties over the years but I don’t think having technology from that era in our homes is a great idea these days. Choosing a smart meter over your current analogue one can save time, energy and money so my message to the public on this tour will be to take a step closer to a home that does the hard work for you.” 

The regional tour, part of Smart Energy GB’s Campaign for a Smarter Britain, will visit cities across Great Britain. Kirstie, Phil and Susan will meet the public to rally support for us all to take a step towards a smarter Britain. There are already more than 11 million smart meters installed in homes and small businesses across Great Britain.

Susan Calman said: “I was sick of my old meter being some unknown and uncontrollable little monster that lived under the stairs. Instead, I got a smart meter that’s more like a nerdy pal that helps me keep tabs on my energy spend. I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to life so this is just what I need to control my energy in the summer so I can spend more in the winter.”

The tour will visit the following 10 locations during June and July:

• London
• Glasgow
• Nottingham
• Dudley, near Birmingham
• Manchester
• Newcastle
• Cardiff
• Bristol
• Leeds
• Norwich 

Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive of Smart Energy GB, said: “Britain is in the midst of one of the most significant infrastructure upgrades ever undertaken. I love the passion that Kirstie, Phil and Susan are bringing to challenging us all to take a small step in each of our homes that adds up to a big result for Great Britain.”  

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

1. The regional tour will visit the following locations on the dates indicated:
   • Friday 15 June: London – Westfield Stratford
   • Monday 18 June: Glasgow – Braehead
   • Thursday 21 June: Nottingham – Victoria Centre
   • Monday 25 June: Dudley, near Birmingham – Merry Hill
   • Friday 29 June: Manchester – Trafford Centre
   • Wednesday 11 July: Newcastle – Eldon Square
   • Friday 13 July: Cardiff – Queens Arcade
   • Saturday 14 July: Bristol – Cabot Circus
   • Friday 20 July: Leeds – The White Rose
   • Thursday 26 July: Norwich – Castle Mall

   *Dates and venues may be subject to change.

2. Campaign films by Kirstie & Phil, and Susan, are available, together with additional press materials here.
   
   
3. Supporting evidence for nearly £560 million per annum* & West Midlands saving of £49.1 million per year**
   Real consumer data from a leading energy supplier shows average energy savings per household with a smart meter are 3%. This real consumer experience is even better than official government projections – the BEIS Cost Benefit Analysis predicts an average saving of 2.8% for electricity and 2% for gas with a smart meter. We have therefore taken the lowest figure available to us (2%) for prudence.
   
   A 2% average energy saving per household, per year, equates to £21.17 when calculated in line with fuel prices published by the Energy Saving Trust in March 2018. When multiplied by the number of households in Great Britain according to ONS data, the potential national saving from smart meters if we all get them is £559,686,109, which we have rounded to nearly £560 million per annum. The same average energy saving per household, per year, is multiplied by the number of households in the West Midlands to calculate the West Midlands saving figure.
   
   Please see Smart Energy GB’s website for a summary of the approach to additional smart meter savings referenced in this press release.
   
   
4. Households with a smart meter
   Electralink data shows smart electricity meters only. This is a good measure of the number of households with smart meters, since every household has either an electricity meter only, or a gas and electricity meter.
   
   The source for households by region is: Total number of households by region and country of the UK, 1996 to 2017. The source for households by city is: 2011 Census: Household composition, local authorities in England and Wales.

About Smart Energy GB

Smart Energy GB is the voice of the smart meter rollout. It’s our task to help everyone in Great Britain understand smart meters, the national rollout and how to use their new meters to get their gas and electricity under control. Our national campaign is reaching households and microbusinesses in England, Scotland and Wales.

About smart meters and the rollout

Smart meters replace the traditional meters we currently have in our homes. They enable accurate bills, near real time information on energy use in pounds and pence, and greater control over the way we buy and use energy. The smart meter rollout is an essential technology upgrade, unprecedented in its scale, to improve Great Britain’s energy infrastructure.

There are already more than 11 million smart meters installed in homes and microbusinesses across Great Britain. Every household in England, Scotland and Wales will be offered one at no additional cost. Contact your energy supplier about getting your free smart meter.

About Kirstie & Phil

Kirstie Allsopp is a presenter, author, commentator, property expert and businesswoman. Kirstie co-presents Channel 4's hugely successful Location, Location, Location with Phil Spencer, as well as Fill Your House for Free and Love It or List It. Kirstie has published four books and supports a variety of charities including Homestart and The Prince’s Trust.

Phil Spencer is a presenter, author, businessman and property investor. He is the co-presenter of the long-running series Location, Location, Location, in addition to Love it or List It, Phil Spencer’s Stately Homes and Find me a Home. Outside of television, Phil has published books, and written regular columns and features for leading newspapers and lifestyle magazines.

About Susan

Susan Calman is a Scottish comedian performing shows at the Edinburgh Fringe as well as selling out London theatres. In 2017, Susan reached week ten on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Other television work includes roles in How Not to Live your Life, Dead Boss and Fresh Meat. She has also made guest appearances on Have I Got News for You and QI.

Smart Energy GB media contacts

For more information including interview requests, case studies of smart meter users, infographics, photography and video content please contact the Smart Energy GB media team:

Email: [email protected]

Call Rachel Kelly on 020 7413 3008 or 07505 956454 or Erildas Budraitis on 020 7413 3750 or 07932 471109