Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what comparative assessment she has made of the costs and benefits of the use of smart meters for metering (a) gas and (b) electricity consumption.

There is a very positive economic case for a combined gas and electricity smart meter roll-out in Great Britain. The latest Impact Assessment estimates a net benefit of £6.2 billion over the period to 2030.

Mains gas is prevalent in GB, serving around 80% of premises and supplying most cooking and space heating energy requirements.

The case for including gas meters in the GB smart rollout is compelling. If smart meters were installed for electricity only, energy suppliers would still incur the cost of visiting premises for installations, and they would have to run two systems in parallel – a smart one for electricity, a traditional one for gas. This would involve amongst other things retaining meter reading teams for gas. In addition, consumers would not have access to the information to realise the substantial energy savings related to gas use and heating. Overall, this would reduce the Programme’s Net Present Value significantly.