Letters: Wising up to our energy usage
[Re: Price cap will rise to £2,800 per year warns Ofgem, May 24]
Smart meters are attracting huge amounts of criticism, with the rollout currently in a state of purgatory. With yet another price cap being announced for October, it is still only being seen as an overhyped, increasingly obsolete piece of tech. However, with the right approach, they can be used to lower UK bills and further our environmental goal.
One way to reduce rising consumer energy bills is improving people’s understanding of their daily energy consumption at a much more granular level. Being better informed on exactly energy usage in real-time “nudges” consumers to positively adapt towards lowering it. Smart tariffs can be created where prices are cheaper during certain hours, encouraging consumers to shift, taking advantage.
Ofgem’s upcoming proposal surrounding the market-wide half-hourly settlement (MHHS) for gas, mandating half-hourly updates from providers on our energy consumption is a promising step. Smart meters will allow customers to consume less energy, pushing a greener Britain.
To provide this level of insight to consumers will require seamless movement of vast data between providers and consumers. Energy companies must look towards implementing real-time data solutions sooner rather than later. One way to achieve this is with technology like Event-Driven Architecture, the technology already consistently used in the retail, pharmaceutical and aviation industries.
Jamil Ahmed