Blog > March 2012

 

Cautionary notes on smart meter deployments are a timely wake up call

Thursday 29th March 2012

A new report from Pike Research on smart meter shipments in 2011 has thrown up some interesting news – both good and not so good - on smart meter deployments last year. On the positive side, overall global smart meter deployments rose to 73 million endpoints,...

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Communications hub that could be a breakthrough for smart meters

Wednesday 28th March 2012

News from Monday this week could signal a significant milestone for the smart meter roll out in the UK. Landis+Gyr, currently working with British Gas on it’s initial deployment of smart meters, has signed a partnership deal with Huawei to jointly...

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Are consumers confused over smart meter semantics?

Friday 23rd March 2012

Survey results published by Pike Research suggest that while energy consumers remain wary of smart meters, many continue to express interest in energy management products. Recent research and statements from consumer groups have raised concerns that most...

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Could personal tax statements show the way for energy bills?

Wednesday 21st March 2012

Today the chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce plans for an annual statement for taxpayers, giving over 20 million people a detailed breakdown of how their tax was calculated for the year and where their money has been spent. These statements,...

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Smart meters - an opportunity slipping away?

Friday 16th March 2012

A new survey from uSwitch announced this week has again highlighted how consumers are still unaware of the potential benefits of the smart meter roll out. The research highlights that less than half (45%) know what a smart meter is while a third (35%) have...

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Can the Green Deal deliver value to consumers?

Tuesday 13th March 2012

Reports over the weekend have put the Green Deal in the spotlight, amid concerns that support for the initiative has started to crumble.  In advance of its launch on 1st October, industry leaders and consumer groups are questioning if energy efficiency...

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Smart meter framework must allow for future innovation

Thursday 8th March 2012

A new report from Sentec has highlighted that the smart meter rollout progress in Europe has been slower than has been anticipated. Based on figures from IMS Research, Sentec’s report shows that as of 2011 many European countries had yet to significantly...

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What Ofgem can learn from Ofcom

Wednesday 7th March 2012

This month, The Guardian highlighted a campaign by telecoms regulator Ofcom looking to prevent mobile phone users from receiving unexpectedly high bills. You may be wondering why my focus has shifted from the energy market to the telecoms sector, but there...

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Energy advice for consumers must be two-way street

Monday 5th March 2012

This week the Government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) awarded a new £13 million contract to the Energy Saving Trust, ensuring EST can continue to deliver free energy saving advice to consumers and businesses across the UK. As part...

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