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We were really disappointed in Llangattock not to have Smart Meters.  However, I don't really know what the benefits are.  Can anyone tell me if they have one and what benefits have emerged?

Jackie C Llangattock

Hi Jackie,

Great to see you on the site!  Helen, who works on the team, has been on the Smart Meter Trial at British Gas so I'll get her to respond to your question about what she's found.

Kate

Hi Jackie,

I have a Smart Meter already myself, and they are great, but don't be too discouraged, because I'm guessing you could replicate almost all the features of Smart Meters yourselves, certainly with electricity, by getting the real time energy monitors which show you minute by minute how much electricity you're using (unless you're on 3-phase electric, or something else odd I don't know about).  They cost around £35, and some (like the British Gas Minim), allow you to do some things you can't with Smart Meters too, like set yourself a daily target or see yesterday's total usage in kWh.  They, like Smart Meters, help people save loads of electricity/money etc. as you make changes in response to what the monitor tells you (since using mine, I've cut my electricity usage by 40% compared to the same period last year, but the average is about 10% I think.)  

 Some of our families are tracking their gas usage, if not as regularly as with a Smart Meter, by just taking their own readings daily.  Even weekly is good, as then you can work out a daily average, and see how you can lower it by turning down thermostats by a degree or two, etc. 

One warning - once you start recording usage, it gets addictive!

Jenny D.