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Articles related to "Smart meters: Controlling your energy bill?"

News

EU smart meter roll-out lags behind ambition - 27 June 2013

SPECIAL REPORT / Europe’s ambitious plan for 80% market penetration of smart meters by 2020 is failing to live up to expectations. A senior energy official at the European Commission admits that market penetration is still very low, particularly in the new member states, and that there is a big shortfall in investment.

'Lowest energy tariffs' do not necessarily mean lower bills, experts warn - 24 October 2012

UK Prime Minister David Cameron recently announced that he would pass a law forcing energy companies to offer their customers the lowest tariffs available, but this will not necessarily translate into cheaper energy bills, EU energy experts warn.

EU 'considering' 2013 benchmark report on smart meters - 18 September 2012

The European Commission is likely to draw a benchmark report on the costs and benefits of smart meters by mid-2013 and urge member states to inform it as soon as possible of their assessments and roll-out plans.

Consumers unaware of smart meters ahead of EU-wide roll-out - 24 August 2012

A study commissioned by the United Kingdom's Department of Energy and Climate Change recently revealed that over half the population is unaware of the existence of smart meters.

Doubts cast over consumer benefits of smart meters - 21 June 2012

SPECIAL REPORT / The European Commission has asked member states to present before September their cost-benefit analyses on the deployment of smart meters that could lead to 80% of consumers being equipped with intelligent metering systems by 2020. But a recent study casts doubts over their cost-effectiveness and the benefits they bring to consumers.

Single ‘smart’ technology standard on horizon - 01 March 2012

The first step to create a new single industry standard for smart homes and grids capable of offering energy savings and health monitoring is set to be made in Tokyo next month, EurActiv has been told.

EU must double energy grid funding, says study - 08 November 2011

European Union nations must nearly double investment in power grid construction in the decade after 2020 if they are to get on the path to carbon-free electricity by mid-century, the European Climate Foundation (ECF) think-tank said yesterday (7 November).

Rising electricity bills: Will smart meters help consumers? - 10 March 2011

Households should expect their electricity bills to rise as Europe switches to cleaner energy and ageing power grids are gradually being replaced by new 'intelligent' ones. The good news is that smart meters should soon help them to better control their bills, says GE Energy's Bob Gilligan. But do consumers really want them?

EU shifts energy policy focus to consumers' bills - 07 December 2010

European consumers should be able to switch to the cheapest energy supplier more easily, EU energy ministers said at a meeting last Friday (3 December).

Smart grids could save Europe €52bn - 16 November 2010

Smart grids could save the EU €52 billion annually, according to leading smart grid companies that have teamed up to promote European leadership in smart grids.

Commission cautious on smart grids - 16 April 2010

The European Commission is waiting to hear from an expert group before deciding on a possible legislative framework for smart grids. But a high-ranking official cautioned that any potential regulation would only emerge from industry demand.

ICT firms pledge to measure their carbon footprint - 24 February 2010

Leading associations in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) have teamed up to measure the sector's energy consumption and coordinate action on deploying technologies that contribute to the EU's climate and energy goals.

Interview

Industry: Consumer fears on smart meters are 'overblown' - 18 September 2012

Industry is waiting for national energy regulators in each member state to decide how to distribute the costs involved in the roll-out of smart meters, which could fall on consumers, depending on each market's 'peculiarities', John Harris, of smart metering company Landis+Gyr, told EurActiv.

GE Energy: Smart grids 'give a good pay-back' - 10 March 2011

Smart grids can bring great improvements in how we manage our energy supplies, but they require huge initial investment, says Bob Gilligan, vice-president of GE Energy in an interview with EurActiv.

Opinion

The need for demand-response in the energy efficiency directive - 01 June 2012

The Directive on Energy Efficiency can overcome barriers to the development of demand response across Europe and ensuring its role in the context of the 2020 energy savings goal, says Sylvie Feindt. However, in many countries demand response is not enabled such as Italy, Spain, Greece or Poland.

Where is the consumer in the Energy Efficiency Directive? - 09 May 2012

Consumers will not be able to cut their energy consumption unless the energy efficiency directive creates a framework for smart meter feedback, accurate bills and information campaigns, argues Monique Goyens, Director General of The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC). 

The Energy Efficiency Directive will bring energy poverty to Sweden - 06 April 2012

The proposed EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) will push rent prices up and cause energy poverty that has not been seen in Sweden since modern times, warn Barbro Engman, Kurt Eliasson and Reinhold Lennebo.

Energy Efficiency Directive, our last chance to reach the 2020 goal - 05 April 2012

If European citizens are unaware of their energy consumption levels, they will be unable to reduce their energy use, argues John Harris.

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