53 Million Smart Meters Planned In U.K.

The United Kingdom’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has set the goal of installing 53 million smart meters in 30 million homes over the next eight years. The department claims the national roll out will save the country almost $12 billion over the next twenty years.

The roll out of smart meters across England will happen over two phases, the first being the testing and planning stage, of which the government is currently operating under, that seeks to ensure positive consumer engagement and educate ratepayers on the benefits of the technology. According to the government, by 2020 consumers will save an average of $37 per year due to smart meter implementation. While the estimated savings are nice, the dollar amount is hardly significant.

image via Oncor

The second phase of the UK plan will be mass rollout of smart meter devices, and is expected to start in early 2014 with completion by 2019. The DECC has been working on the program since July of 2010, and has solicited feedback from a variety of organizations. The full plan of England’s smart meter rollout can be downloaded as a 60-page PDF document from the government’s website.