Following recent correspondence and the BEIS Committee’s evidence
hearing on Smart Meters on
9th January, , Chair of the Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee has
commented on the Government’s approach to the management of the
roll-out programme.
The correspondence from Rt Hon Claire Perry MP, Minister of State
for Energy and Clean Growth, responded to questions from the BEIS
Committee on a number of issues including on problems deploying
SMETS2 meters in the north, installation costs, and concerns
around the benefits to vulnerable consumers of smart meters being
installed.
, Chair of the Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy Select
Committee said: “The smart meter rollout
has been beset by problems and delays. The 2020 target will not
be met and, as costs rise, it is the household customer who will
eventually pick up the bill. Yet, from our evidence hearing and
the subsequent Ministerial correspondence, the Government’s
tendency is to sugar-coat and pretend that everything will turn
out alright in the end. The Government needs to tackle these
problems, get a greater grip on costs, and be much more active in
holding energy suppliers and the Data Communications Company
(DCC) to account for delivering this programme and within budget.
The BEIS Committee will continue to monitor these issues around
costs, timescales, and the operability of smart meters and hold
the Government to account for their role in getting the smart
meter roll-out back on track and ensuring that the interests of
consumers are protected.
“Customers in the north are currently paying for smart meters
through their bills but with little hope of having one installed
in their homes compared to customers in the south. The
Government are too passive in ensuring that the DCC and energy
suppliers up their game and tackle this north/south divide. The
Government and Ofgem need to take a far tougher approach to
ensuring that energy suppliers stick to their obligations and
provide customers with advice on how to conserve energy, when
they have a smart meter installed”.
The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select
Committee evidence hearing on smart meters on Wednesday
9th January followed up on the findings
and conclusions of the NAO ‘Rolling out smart meters’ report
(HC1680) and looked at the roll-out programme and its management
by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
