Justin Tomlinson, Member of Parliament for North Swindon, has welcomed news today that 859 households in his constituency are already benefiting from increased control over energy bills through British Gas smart meters, with average annual savings of £65 per household.
Smart meters mean for the first time, households can see how much gas and electricity they are using, as they use it, and how much that costs in pounds and pence. By gaining insight into what they are spending and where, consumers can take control over their energy use and consequently their bills. Smart meters also send meter readings to suppliers automatically, seeing an end to estimated bills.
All energy companies are required to deliver smart meters to every home and business in the country by 2020, with British Gas already installing one million smart meters - around 75% of the total currently installed in Britain today.
Justin Tomlinson MP said:
"At a time when many people are struggling to make ends meet, this is good news for the families in Swindon. Energy bills are a big worry for some households and anything that can provide greater transparency and help people take control of their costs and reduce waste is welcome.
"Every home in the Swindon will have a smart meter by 2020 and it's good to see British Gas helping my constituents get the benefits of smart today."
Stuart Rolland, Managing Director of Smart Metering at British Gas said:
"British Gas is working hard to make sure people are in control of their energy bills, that's one of the reasons we chose to get smart meters to our customers earlier than everyone else. 859 of our customers in Swindon are already seeing the benefit of smart and we look forward to the rest joining them."
British Gas customers will receive a new smart meter when the life of their standard meter expires, but customers are also welcome to register their interest to see if they can get one sooner. Visit britishgas.co.uk/smartmeters to find out more.
