‘Smart meters’ could help energy users avoid debt

Energy users could soon have much more control over their usage – and therefore their bills – as providers move towards ‘smart meters’ as a way for customers to monitor their usage.

A smart meter is a device that attaches to the billpayer’s energy meter, recording energy usage data and transmitting that information wirelessly to the energy provider.

First:utility is offering all its customers a smart meter to measure their energy usage – for a one-off payment – meaning that bills are accurate every month, as customers do not receive estimated bills.

Customers can also track their half-hourly usage online, making it easier to calculate when peak usage is occurring and where they might want to consider cutting back.

Several other energy providers are also said to be trialling the smart meter with their customers.

A spokesperson for debt management company Gregory Pennington said: “More widespread use of smart meters could be welcomed by billpayers. Especially in the current climate, energy users are becoming more concerned about how much energy they are using – and where, when and how much they could save in order to avoid debt.

“One of the first steps of debt management is for people to assess their household costs, and this will make that easier. But we still advise anyone in debt to speak to a professional debt adviser to discuss their situation in detail.”

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Gregory Pennington offer a range of debt solutions, including debt management plans and debt consolidation loans. If you are worried about debt, contact one of our expert debt advisers now.