£11billion energy smart meter roll out delayed by a year because 'more time is needed for testing'

Delay: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has announced that the roll out of smart meters will be delayed by a year.

The roll out of energy smart meters in to 30 million UK homes is being delayed by a year because more time is needed to design and test products, the government has announced.



The £11billion project will start in the autumn of 2015, rather than next summer, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said.



Smart meters are being installed to show households exactly how much gas and electricity is being used, in an attempted to end estimated bills and bring down energy usage.



In a statement to Parliament, MP Ed Davey, secretary of state for Energy and Climate Change, said: ‘The consistent message was that more time was needed if the mass roll-out was to get off to the best possible start and ensure a quality experience for consumers.



‘We therefore now expect suppliers to be ready to start their full scale roll-out by autumn 2015.’

He added that the completion date for the project has been extended by a year also, to the end of 2020.



Energy and climate change minister, Baroness Verma, added: ‘The Coalition is committed to making smart meters available to everyone as soon as possible.

‘I have listened to industry and consumers representatives and recognise the enormous challenges involved in delivering the roll-out of smart meters, which includes visits to around 30 million homes and small businesses and installing over 50 million smart meters over the next seven years.



I want to ensure that consumers have a good experience of smart metering from day one.



‘That’s why we are allowing additional time for the energy suppliers to complete the roll-out, so industry has the time to get it right for consumers.’

Smart meters have been criticised in the past – experts say that they will only reduce household bills if consumers engage with them to use less energy.

