EDF and Eon tell government to get smart
July 23rd 2008 EDF and Eon are urging the government to speed up ubiquitous smart metering rollout. Speaking at an energy conference in London this week, Eon UK chief executive, Dr Paul Golby, said smart metering is “an absolute essential – why are we still talking about it two years after the debate?”
His sentiments were echoed by EDF chief operating officer for Energy, Martin Lawrence, who says the firm’s latest customer surveys suggest customers want big business to make it easy for them to buy low impact products. “How can customers save energy when they don’t know how much they are using?” he asked. “We must commit now to introduce smart metering across the whole of the UK. We know it is the right way to go, but for one reason or another, don’t seem to be able to get there.”
The government, while broadly supportive of smart metering, is seen by many in the industry to be too ponderous in giving nationwide rollout the green light. Reluctant to set a firm timescale, cost is a key factor, with top-end government estimates around the £30bn mark over the next two decades. Industry claims the rollout cost will be rather less. Its uppermost estimate is £10bn.
More articles from WEE News Desk: | 
