Government’s energy supply strategy missing effective actions to manage demand

The Government’s Energy Supply Strategy is failing focus on reducing demand as the most immediate way to improve energy security.

geo’s CEO Steve Cunningham said: “Ensuring security of supply is vital, but planning and deploying new generation capacity is a long term process. The quickest and easiest win – today and for the future – is to reduce demand.

“The new generation of home energy management systems (HEMS*) automate energy efficiency, and cut energy bills by an average of 20%, around £400, without people having to change their behaviour. Unlike the alternatives, they are cheap, very easy to install as part of the ongoing smart meter rollout and have an immediate effect.

“If these systems were installed in the 13 million British homes yet to have a smart meter fitted, they would save more than £5 billion on consumer energy bills, 35tWh of energy and 5 million tons of emitted CO2 every year. These figures would more than double if energy suppliers retrofit homes that already have a smart meter. That’s good for customers pockets and the planet.”

*HEMS automate energy savings across a home’s heating system and various electrical appliances, optimising the way they work to reduce energy use without affecting the way people live. The latest generation of HEMS link to the home’s smart meter, understanding exactly how and when the home can use energy more efficiently. Unlike the alternatives, they are cheap, very easy to install as part of the ongoing smart meter rollout and have an immediate effect.