News
29 March 2010
11:21
British Gas plans two million smart meters in British homes by 2012
British Gas today announced plans to accelerate the roll-out of its smart meter programme and install two million smart meters in customers' homes by 2012. This will allow British households to take early advantage of smart meter technology - including real time, on-screen information - helping them cut their energy use, carbon emissions and fuel bills.
The UK's biggest energy supplier is also unveiling the world-leading companies it will be working with to reach this target. British Gas is also today sharing its technical standards with the rest of the industry to build momentum for an earlier roll-out, and beat the Government's target date of 2020.
British Gas has brought together six world-leading companies, all experts in their own fields, to assemble its smart meter system. The partner companies include: mobile phone giant, Vodafone; billing systems leader, SAP; cutting-edge software and communications firms, OSIsoft and Trilliant; and global smart meter manufacturer, Landis+Gyr. The Zigbee Smart Energy global wireless home area network standard will be used to link up the in-home devices.
Like all new technology innovations, from mobile phones to high definition TVs, the establishment of agreed standards within the industry is a vital step.; In the highly competitive energy supply market, where more than 100,000 customers change supplier each week, suppliers need to be able to operate all smart meters.
Announcing British Gas' new target, Phil Bentley, Managing Director, British Gas, said:
"At British Gas, we already have the largest smart meter trial in the country. We want all our customers to have smart meters as soon as possible, so they can take advantage of this technology and use it to help them cut their energy use, carbon emissions and fuel bills.
"This is why we recently launched our new smart metering business, and began recruitment of our 2,600 new smart energy experts who will support the roll-out. And this is why we are today announcing a partnership with a group of world-leading companies, with whom we will work to deliver our ambitious target of two million more smart meters in customers' homes by 2012. We are also sharing our smart meter standards with the rest of the industry.
"British Gas is building momentum to speed up the smart meter roll-out, and beat the Government's completion target of 2020."
Cameron O'Reilly, Chief Executive Officer, Landis+Gyr, said:
"This partnership represents a major breakthrough for smart metering in the UK. Together, we will pioneer the technical and practical standards that will see every home and business in the country switch to smart metering within the next decade. British Gas is actively seeking to transform the market, and we are proud and pleased to have been selected for such an instrumental role in this major deployment."
Peter Kelly, Enterprise Director, Vodafone UK said:
"We are focused on making our customers' lives easier by continuously improving our products and services on the UK's best network.
"We're pleased to be working with British Gas on this pioneering trial to accelerate the roll-out of smart meters into British homes. Consumers can count on our fast, reliable network to help them manage their energy costs with British Gas and do their bit to help reduce carbon emissions."
Full smart meter specification details are attached:
Introduction: Smart Metering – Outline Specification Summary PDF (130KB)
Product requirements for smart metering systems:
ENDS
Note to Editors
- 1) British Gas is in partnership with six organisations to deliver the smart meter system:
- Vodafone will provide the network to carry the signal of the smart meter to enable it to communicate to other external systems
- Landis+Gyr will develop the in-home smart metering system, including smart electricity and gas meters and an innovative colour touch screen in-home energy display
- Trilliant will manage all the smart meter communications with its "head end" software which will link up smart meters and manage other companies' networked devices
- OSIsoft will provide the system that will hold the smart meter data
- SAP will deliver smart functionality onto British Gas's own IT systems
- ZigBee will provide the ZigBee Smart Energy global wireless home area network standard which will be used to link-up the in-home devices
Contact
British Gas Media Relations 0845 072 8002
