1. Britain’s smart meter rollout lags behind European counterparts.
2. There have been 18.8 million cumulative installations of smart meters in Great Britain, with 64% coverage so far.
3. Recommendations include raising awareness, offering attractive propositions to consumers, holding suppliers accountable, and addressing data privacy concerns.
Analysis from LCP Delta shows that the smart meter rollout in Britain is behind other European countries, with only 64% of homes having electricity smart meters installed. In comparison, France has achieved 93% coverage, Spain has full coverage, and Italy has achieved full coverage in its first generation rollout and 82% in its second generation rollout. Germany’s rollout is only about 1% completed.
Customer engagement is also a factor in the success of smart meter installations. The percentage of homes registered with their suppliers’ mobile apps to manage energy use ranges from 12% in Italy to 31% in Spain and 20% in GB. LCP Delta emphasizes the importance of both a full smart meter rollout and engaged customers, noting that mandates can lead to unengaged customers, while an opt-in approach could delay the rollout by another decade.
Recommendations from LCP Delta include raising awareness through targeted communications about the benefits of smart meters, offering attractive propositions to consumers for more control and lower energy bills, holding suppliers accountable for the rollout, and addressing data privacy concerns to ensure a resilient and protected smart meter infrastructure. The government and Smart Energy GB are encouraged to take action to accelerate the smart meter rollout in the UK.