Installing smart meters does not directly result in domestic energy savings according research at the University of Oxford.

Smart meters are considered to be an integral part of infrastructure to reduce energy use and key in the shift towards a renewable energy supply mix. This new research is released as the Government plans to install smart meters in over 27 million homes and 2 million non domestic sites over the next decade.

Dr Sarah Darby found that smart meters do not result in energy cuts on their own, but that savings depend on the feedback to the consumer and on the support structure available to change habits and routines. The paper goes on to examine different definitions of smart meters and their effect on energy use, analysing these with reference to different billing structures and their impacts.

For further details please see the BBC News article.

To read ‘Smart metering: what potential for householder engagement?’ by Dr Sarah Darby in Building Research & Information click here.