USmartConsumer: real-time smart meter feedback to kick-start consumer interest

Panel: 5. Energy use in buildings: projects, technologies and innovation

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Author:
Henk van Elburg, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, The Netherlands

Abstract

Smart metering is rapidly gaining momentum in Europe, thanks to the Energy Efficiency Directive and EU-dissemination projects such as USmartConsumer. Although considerations for large-scale rollouts take place in a growing number of Member States, it’s hypothesized success for energy savings should not be taken for granted. Smart meters only contribute to energy efficiency, if they come publicly accepted and in line with truly engaging and empowering smart metering services.

To meet these important preconditions and to provide input for USmartConsumer, a large and multiple consumer behaviour pilot program was recently executed in the Netherlands. Involving more than 10.000 smart metered households, this series of pilots is among the largest scientific smart metering trials conducted internationally to date. The program delivered convincing evidence for smart meter energy savings. As well as with similar large scale trial programmes in the UK (EDRP) and Ireland (CBT), it has been concluded that smart metering in combination with direct feedback, in-home displays in particular, can lead to considerable and persistent household energy reductions. With average savings up to 6 % for electricity and 7 % for gas, in-home displays appear to be the more important factor and a crucial ‘stepping stone’ to kick-start active consumer interest ànd engagement in accessing energy information. Sophisticated web-based services on PC, tablet and smart phone are potentially powerful to help reduce energy demand, but in practice more so with already committed subsets of the population. Due to a lack of engagement amongst less committed or skilled consumers, as seen in some pilots, opt-in websites or apps should not generally be considered as the contemporary substitute for in-home displays, but rather as a complementary option. When motivating the large scale rollout decision to Dutch Parliament in June 2014, the Dutch government promised a broad product range of smart metering services for all population groups. At ECEEE, the USmartConsumer project and the results of the Dutch pilot series will be presented and discussed, also in relation to other international pilot results.