UK plans smart meter revolution to cut energy cost

By Daniel Fineren

LONDON (Reuters) - Every household in Britain should by 2020 be able to cut its energy bills and carbon footprint using "smart meters" and handheld devices to control energy use closely, the government said on Monday.

Britain plans to replace all existing electricity and gas meters -- often clunky objects hidden away amid domestic clutter in dark understairs cupboards -- with easily viewed devices that show consumers exactly how much energy they are using, including by individual appliances.

The hope is users will change their behavior to save money.

The meters will also help homeowners sell electricity from green technologies like roof-top wind turbines back to the grid while improving energy demand forecasts and network management.

"The meters most of us have in our homes were designed for a different age, before climate change. Now we need to get smarter with our energy," Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said.

"Smart meters will empower all consumers to monitor their own energy use and make reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions as a result. Smart meters will also mean the end of inaccurate bills and estimated meter readings."

The government estimates that smart meters could deliver net benefits of between 2.5 billion pounds ($3.80 billion) and 3.6 billion pounds over the next 20 years.

In April the government set a 2020 target to cut Britain's greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent compared with 1990 levels, making it the first country to bind itself to a framework for emissions reductions.