Contact/Cyswllt:  Sian Cliff
02920 898342 / sian.cliff@wales.gov.uk

Welsh Liberal Democrats will call for all homes in Wales to be fitted with smart meters, in an Assembly debate on Wednesday.

The motion, calls on the government to speed up the process of installing the kit, which shows the cost of energy use in the home – instead of the current system which merely shows how much energy has been used.

Mick Bates said: “Smart Meters, which provide two-way communication between the customer and energy supplier, will revolutionise the way that energy is bought and sold. This will allow consumers to manage their fuel expenditure and carbon emissions, helping Government to achieve its objectives in fuel poverty and climate change.

“The government is forever planning to do something in this field, but has yet to make the great leap forward. The Energy Bill currently going through parliament is a golden opportunity to secure a mandate for a UK wide roll out of smart meters. That’s why this debate is so urgent.

“The sooner smart meters are introduced, the sooner consumers will start saving money, and contributing to saving the planet.”

The Welsh Liberal Democrat-led debate ties in with the UK 'E Day' which is encouraging people to switch off their electrical appliances in the home, to see how much energy can be saved.

Mike German, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, added: “Smart meters have the potential to help solve the fuel poverty crisis and help the poorest people in Wales to receive energy at a lower cost. The government likes to talk green, but we need to see green action.”



Notes:

What is a Smart Meter?

Smart meters are electric or gas meters that measure the exact amount of energy being used by a building. Smart meters are able to transmit this information to energy suppliers, avoiding the need for house calls to read meters. They display the energy being used in pounds and pence so customers can see at-a-glance how much energy they are using, a task much more easily accomplished than the electricity display devices (EDD) which display energy use in kilowatt hours.

Welsh Lib Dem Motion:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises the potential for smart meters to increase energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and assist with fuel poverty; and

2. Calls on the Welsh Assembly Government to:

a) Devise an effective strategy to roll out smart meters across Wales; and
b) Continue to press the UK Government to introduce a mandate as soon as possible for the installation of smart meters in every household in Wales.



End / Diwedd