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Energy Bill

moved Amendment No. 70: 70: Clause 81, page 74, line 24, at end insert— ““( ) Where the Secretary of State makes modifications under this section, such modifications must require that such meters have the facility to provide data on gas or electricity consumption in such form that it may be used for the purpose of assisting the householder to select the gas or electricity tariff which is most to the householder’s advantage.”” The noble Lord said: This area has already been touched on in the rather full debate that we had on the first amendment on smart meters. The amendment is to facilitate information on gas or electricity consumption that would help householders. One of the problems that has been highlighted is that there has been a difference of opinion between those promoting smart meters for the benefits that will accrue to those supplying gas and electricity, and those doing so for the benefits that will be supplied to the householder. The amendment deals with one of the central problems with smart meters, which is also one of the central benefits to the consumer: that is, that you could use the information to switch quickly between suppliers to make the best use of better tariffs. If it is being done on the internet, you could do it on a daily basis or on a much more frequent basis. Depending on the model that is to be rolled out, that will leave the supplier of the gas meter with a problem. If the supplier is paying for the meter and, as soon as the meter is installed, the customer switches to another supplier, that might incur some difficulties with the business model. However, we should not underestimate the value to the customer in financial terms of the ability to manage the smart meter. That is not an issue that should be taken lightly. Fuel poverty has been mentioned and there is greater mobility within the market for people to switch between different tariffs. One of the major benefits to the customer of using a smart meter is that the customer could use automatic systems to wash their clothes in the middle of the night or do anything that uses vast amounts of electricity on a much cheaper tariff. That could be done easily and cheaply by many householders, and it would have an interesting effect on levelling the grid if a greater proportion of those power-hungry activities, such as washing, were done at a time when more electricity is on the grid than is being used. It would have value in carbon-saving terms. The purpose of the amendment is to find out where the Government see the ultimate benefits of smart metering accruing. I beg to move.