OREANDA-NEWS. Major energy supplier SSE today reached a significant landmark in its national roll-out of smart meters as it installed its 100,000th meter.

Over the coming years, SSE will be aiming to install more than seven million smart meters across the country as part of a huge investment in the nation’s infrastructure.

Smart meters will allow customers to see how much energy they are using at any one time either through units of power or pounds and pence, empowering them to make better informed decisions about their energy use. They will also provide real-time, accurate information to suppliers, meaning an end to estimated bills.

The roll-out of smart meters is a multi-billion pound project that has potential to transform the energy industry, taking it from the analogue world into a digital future. Studies have shown that they can help customers take control of their energy use and, through reduced consumption, help keep bills down. They will also enable more innovative, personalised products and services in the future.

The milestone installation took place in Southampton at the home of Mrs Kate McCallum, an SSE customer of five years who is particularly excited about gaining greater control of her energy use having just bought an electric car.

Mrs McCallum was very happy about receiving her smart meter saying: “I just think it is a really good idea. It’s a brilliant idea to track what we spend on energy and so I contacted SSE to arrange an appointment. I am looking forward to getting more accurate billing and just to be able to keep an eye on our energy spend a lot more easily.”

Sara Jane Asquith, Director of Metering and Smart Transformation, welcomed the milestone saying: “The smart meter roll-out is a major and transformative investment in the energy infrastructure of Great Britain. Smart meters will give customers greater control of their energy consumption by enabling them to see at a glance how much they use and what it is costing.

“At SSE we have been building up slowly and learning lessons along the way to ensure we do it once and do it right; once the key national infrastructure is in place next year, we’ll be able to ramp up further. Installing our 100,000th smart meter is a fantastic milestone and we look forward to helping more customers like Mrs McCallum benefit from the latest smart technology.”

Claire Maugham, Director of Policy and Communications at Smart Energy GB, the national consumer campaign for smart meters, said: “Smart meters provide consumers with accurate bills, near real time information on energy use in pounds and pence, and greater control over their gas and electricity. The people who have already upgraded, like Kate, are reaping the benefits of this new technology.

“More than eight in ten smart meter customers would recommend them, and 79 per cent are confident that they’re now getting accurate energy bills. This digitisation of Britain’s last analogue industry will not only transform the way consumers buy and use electricity and gas, but is an essential upgrade to help ensure our energy infrastructure can meet and manage future demand.”