moneysupermarket.com: Smart Meters

Commenting on the introduction of smart meters in every UK household by 2020, Scott Byrom, utilities manager at price comparison site, moneysupermarket.com, said: "Smart meters will put an end to estimated bills and meter readings. Customers won't ever have to overpay or find themselves in debt with their energy supplier once smart meters come into force. Not only this, but it will enable consumers to keep a close eye on their energy consumption, allowing them to curb unnecessary usage, use energy at off-peak times and hopefully, make some much needed savings.

"With this transformation and increased scrutiny on bills, I think it will put a huge onus on the energy giants to offer affordable and competitive deals for customers. I also hope the cost of the scheme - up to £9 billion or £340 for every household - won't wholly be put at the feet of the bill payer who have been suffering for many years from ever increasing bills.

"While we will have to wait another 10 years or so for smart meters to be widespread, bill payers can help themselves now by making sure they grab the best deals. Moving to an online tariff with paperless billing reaps the biggest savings and households have the option of giving an accurate meter reading directly to their energy provider. For further savings, paying by monthly direct debit allows consumers to spread the cost of their bills over the year and removes ‘guess-timating' their usage."