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Energy Bill

I wish to speak to Amendment No. 69. The virtues of smart meters were well explained by the Minister in the other place. They were manifold: giving consumers better information to help manage their energy use; providing more accurate bills; and wider access to different tariffs. The Minister even noted that: "““Smart meters … have the potential to contribute to the future development of the energy services market””.—[Official Report, Commons, 30/4/08; col. 333.]" The concession in the other place on smart meters was welcome. However, I want to be very clear on the following point: the government concession on smart meters is welcome only in so far as it goes. It needs a timeframe; without one, there is no imperative for the policy to get off the ground. I am grateful for the comments of the noble Lord, Lord Redesdale. It is typical of Government to seize a good idea, pursue it only up to a point, and then omit the factor that will deliver the goods. Not having a timeframe is a poison pill to these proposals. The fact that the Government have put into law that they will do this eventually is simply not enough. The technology for smart meters has been around for some years. What is needed is a firm directive on a transparent timescale. If the Government expect industry to get on board with rolling out smart meters, it is essential that the industry participants know when they will be expected to act. Clear direction is vital. The Minister will surely appreciate that businesses’ plans will have to be formulated to incorporate the new clauses which the Government have introduced. Yet without knowing when those powers are to be used, businesses will not be able to budget for the future. Without that direction, a smart metering policy is, as I have said, at risk of falling apart. If the Government want to take action, they should be clear about when they will do so. Now that the House is in agreement on the virtues of smart meters, why should there be any delay? We expect that there will need to be further consultation on the exact way in which smart meters will be rolled out. One year should be more than ample to discover such methods. Our Amendment No. 69 would mandate the Secretary of State to use those powers within one year, giving the necessary direction to industry to get the ball rolling towards universal smart meters. I would like to pose the first of two questions to the Minister. Will he give a clear undertaking that these powers will be used within one year, or indeed give a firm commitment to industry and accept our amendment? As I mentioned before, it is satisfying to see the Government beginning to take steps towards a smart-meter policy yet, without clarification and some courage, we fear that those devices might never reach the people who stand to benefit from them.