The Conservative Party has committed itself to replacing the
nation's electricity and gas meters withsmart meters, a move which could cost upwards of
£10bn, according to Department of Energy figures.
Announcing a wide-ranging energy agenda at the party's
conference in Manchester today, shadow energy and climate change
secretary Greg Clark said, "We will upgrade our 50-year-old
national grid into a smart grid for the 21st century. We will
replace electricity and gas meters with smart meters."
Peter Jenkins, spokesman for the
Energy
Retail Association, which represents the six largest energy
suppliers to the UK, said, "We welcome the Conservatives
reaffirming their commitment to a smart meter roll out."
He said consumers would be able to save money with smart meters
as they would have better consumption data. "They will therefore be
better informed about their energy use and able to act on this to
save energy and money," he said.
Clark said a Conservative government would immediately authorise
5GW of clean coal capacity and publish the planning guidance
essential for new nuclear power.