In a bid to stop the confusion surrounding some of the UK’s energy initiatives, E.ON has reinforced its commitment to help UK customers understand and take advantage of programmes such as the Green Deal and smart metering. The move comes after reports from the Committee on Climate Change and the National Audit Office which echoed E.ON’s concern that customers remain bewildered by measures designed to help them reduce energy consumption.
E.ON’s New Business Director Don Leiper said, “We welcome the Government’s commitment to reducing domestic carbon emissions through programmes like the Green Deal and the smart metering roll out.
“But we now need to take this a step further and work together with Government to engage consumers and make sure they understand how they can benefit from these programmes.
“We’re already making sure that the customer is at the heart of our approach to the Green Deal and smart metering, but our commitment needs to be backed up by a Government education programme and support from other key groups like Ofgem and consumer bodies.”
The CCC’s 3rd annual report highlighted a lack of progress in reducing emissions in 2010 and called on the Government to set out detailed policies to support power sector decarbonisation and energy efficiency in homes and businesses. The National Audit Office also expressed concerns about the economic benefits of smart metering, claiming that there was not enough evidence to show that smart meters lead to reduced energy consumption.
Both organisations have now called for the Government to focus on benefits realisation plans and a consumer engagement strategy.
“The Committee on Climate Change is right to point to the Green Deal as a key part of the plan for driving down carbon emissions,” continued Leiper.
“But we all accept that, while ambitious targets will ensure we maintain focus, customers will also need to have sufficient incentives to take up the Green Deal finance package in the first place.
“We believe these should include lower interest rates and national incentives such as stamp duty reductions. But energy suppliers also need to be able to work with our customers to help them to understand how the Green Deal could benefit them, building on the work that, in E.ON’s case, we have already done through our Energy Fit campaign. The same is true of smart metering – we need to work with customers, meeting their needs and addressing any potential concerns, if smart metering is to be a success”
E.ON, which has committed to installing one million smart meters before the end of the Foundation period in March 2014, opened its Smart Metering Centre of Excellence in May this year and will be working closely with customers to ensure a smooth transition into a low carbon future.
