Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of her Department's forecast reduction in household gas and electricity consumption arising as a result of the smart meters programme is attributable to the use of an in-home display for the provision of consumption data.

The Smart Metering Impact Assessment does not provide a specific estimate of the energy savings that are attributable to the use of an In-Home Display, given that the energy savings households are expected to make from smart meters will be dependent on a number of factors. These include the effectiveness of consumer engagement approaches carried out by energy suppliers before, during and after installation and more broadly by Smart Energy GB, as well as the In-Home Display itself.

Past GB trials and international experience demonstrate that In-Home Displays are instrumental to energy savings. For example, the findings from the Energy Demand Research Project published in 2011 showed that electricity savings with an In-Home Display were generally 2-4% higher than with a smart meter only.