Tame the Beast from the East

Worried about the invisible cost of heating your home during the cold snap? More than eight in ten people with a smart meter have a better idea of what they're spending on energy.

With the Beast from the East plunging temperatures to below zero across parts of the UK, many people are worried about the invisible cost of cranking up the heating to stay warm.

Britain's old-fashioned energy system is a real challenge during extreme weather conditions. How can we make decisions about heating our homes when we have no idea what our gas and electricity is costing?

With a smart meter, you can keep track of exactly how much you're spending on keeping your home warm during the cold snap. This means you can budget and make allowances for the harsh weather, just like you would for any other unexpected circumstance in your life.

Smart energy outlook, a survey of almost 10,000 people across Britain carried out by Populus, shows that smart meters help people feel more in control of how much energy they're using and what it's costing them.

• More than eight in ten (82 per cent) of people with smart meters have a better idea of what they're spending on energy
• Seven in ten (70 per cent) feel more in control of the energy they use
• People with smart meters are more likely to think their energy bill is accurate compared to people using the old-fashioned system (80 per cent vs. 66 per cent)
• More than half (56 per cent) of people with a smart meter and an in-home display to monitor their energy use say they are less worried about their bills

Robert Cheesewright, Director of Policy and Communications at Smart Energy GB, the voice of the national smart meter rollout, said:

"It's only natural that as temperatures plunge across Great Britain we'll turn up the heating at home to keep us warm. Millions of homes with new gas and electricity smart meters can do this safe in the knowledge that they can see their spending, removing that nagging fear of an unexpectedly large bill in the spring.

"While hundreds of thousands of households using older prepayment meters will be dreading the possibility of their lights going out and heating switching off, those with smart prepayment meters will be able to see at a glance how much credit they have remaining and if necessary top up from the warmth and safety of their sofas."

For a selection of easy tips and tricks to keep warm at home, visit our Smart Living page.

Contact your energy supplier to arrange your smart meter installation. Smart meters are available at no extra cost to you.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

Smart energy outlook is carried out for Smart Energy GB, twice a year, by independent research agency Populus. It surveys almost 10,000 people around the country. The full research from August 2017 is available to download here.

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 8.6 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 today about installing your smart meter.

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:

Ben Welling: [email protected]; 0203 019 1063 / 0792 181 9353

Naomi Adams: [email protected]; 0203 019 1056