Edinburgh Napier University

  It is estimated that by 2020 some 53 million, next-generation gas and electricity meters, commonly known as ‘smart meters’, will be installed in approximately 30 million homes and small businesses across the UK. A significant feature of the smart meter device will be the In-Home Display (IHD), promoted by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) as a means to help customers use energy more efficiently; aiming to improve the accuracy of household utility expenditure.
As a precursor to the mass rollout scheme, this paper evaluates the effectiveness of an IHD device by monitoring potential changes in gas and electricity consumption behaviour within a residential context. The study involved monitoring 12 houses and 18 flats that had access to a coloured, real-time, smart IHD. The results were compared against a control group of 9 houses and 13 flats that did not have an IHD.
The paper reports on the initial six months of recorded energy data from a three year research project that investigated the impact of the IHD on energy-related behavioural change. In doing so, the study also involved understanding the occupants’ perception of existing billing information, identifying changes to their energy use behaviour since the installation of the device and collecting occupant feedback on the usability and features contained within the IHD. The paper concludes by presenting evidence that demonstrates the IHD had a positive impact on energy consumption behaviour leading to an average reduction in gas consumption of 17% (houses) and 23% (flats), and an average electricity reduction of 10% (houses) and 2% (flats).