Engineers to introduce smart power to UK
The government has finally revealed its long-awaited plans to introduce smart energy metres to homes across the UK, as well as a complementary 'smart energy grid'.
In an announcement made today, the minister for Energy and Climate change outlined a plan which aims to have every household in the UK fitted with a smart metre by the end of 2020. The responsibility for installing these metres, one of the biggest points of speculation, has been placed on energy suppliers.
The ambitious plans may require energy suppliers to invest in temporary engineering recruitment, as it will require a huge amount of qualified engineers to install meters in every household in the UK. According to a projection from the Office for National Statistics based on the 1996 census, by 2011 there will be an estimated 26.20 million households - an overly ambitious target for companies to meet with their inhouse staff.
As well as this, civil engineering jobs should be created through a massive overhaul to the energy infrastructure of the UK. The government intends to create a 'smart energy grid' which will enable suppliers to deliver electricity more efficiently and reliably. This grid should reduce both the costs and emissions of electricity generation, and also facilitate the introduction of new, low carbon electricity sources such as wind.
Such a plan will provide a stimulus to the construction and engineering industry as it will require a national scale of work to be implemented.
Lord Hunt, the Energy and Climate Change minister, said: "smart meters will put the power in people's hands, enabling us to control how much energy we use, cut emissions and cut bills"