Smart networks could save consumers billions, claims the Energy Network Association. The trade group responsible for the wires and pipes in the UK’s transmission and distribution network said that smarter networks would be good for customers.
Smart networks will become essential to cope with the varying types of energy coming online in Britain such as renewables, sending a ‘real time’ flow of information between suppliers and customers.
The newly appointed Chairman of ENA reckons that its recent report shows huge savings are to be had. Steve Johnson, who is also CEO of Electricity North West said: “We could save the consumer £16 billion if we embrace a smarter network future.”
The ENA commissioned report into the benefits of smart metering by Imperial College London found that by tailoring the amount of energy produced to the energy demand more precisely, smart meters could reduce the overall peak amount of energy used on our electricity system.
The report takes into account the surge in electricity use expected with greater uptake of electric vehicles and heat pumps.