Smart Meters are the next generation of energy meters, able to provide information on energy usage directly to suppliers, leading to an end to estimated billing as well as providing the opportunity for the consumer to have greater understanding and control of their energy use behaviours. Although the individual deployment strategies for smart meter rollout among EU Member States vary, all share the common challenge of ensuring that vulnerable consumers achieve the same benefits of smart metering as other consumers. It is clear that those who are able to understand and interpret the information available via smart meters and accompanying tools such as an In Home Display are more likely to achieve energy savings and also engage with new products and services that become available.
To address these challenges the SMART-UP project has been working in France, Spain, Italy, Malta and the UK to support vulnerable energy consumers to learn more about their smart meters and energy use at home. Funded by the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Fund, the project has been training frontline workers so they are able to provide advice to vulnerable consumers in their respective countries, and then monitoring the impact of that advice on energy consumption and energy behaviour.
Join us at this EU Sustainable Energy Week where there will be a number of opportunities to learn more about the project.
Active Consumer – Vulnerable Consumer
Date: Tuesday 5 June, 2:00 – 3:30pm, Brussels
ENTSO-E, National Energy Action and the Florence School of Regulation
The Clean Energy for all Europeans package rightly emphasises the need to put consumers at the centre of the energy system. However, more than 50 million EU households are considered energy poor or vulnerable. Are measures for active consumers negative for vulnerable consumers? What other ways can vulnerable consumers be supported to save energy and engage in the energy market? Is the newly established EU energy poverty observatory a good step in the EU fight against energy poverty? What are the provisions for active and for vulnerable consumers in the new package?
This session will highlight some of the insight and experiences of practical projects such as SMART-UP in supporting vulnerable energy consumers, before leading into a wider panel discussion including representatives from the industry, to consumer organisations, policy makers and researchers.
Confirmed speakers: Theresa Griffin, MEP; Wioletta Dunin-Majewska, Policy Coordinator, European Commission; Marie-Pierre Fauconnier, Vice-President, CEER; Elizabeth Errington; Senior Policy Researcher, Citizens Advice; Marina Varvesi, Innovation and Development, AISFOR; Slavica RobiĆ, Executive Director, DOOR
For more information and to register click here http://www.eusew.eu/policy-conference-2018
You can also submit questions in advance or vote on your favourite questions by visiting https://www.sli.do/ and entering the code W066
SMART-UP: Smart metering and vulnerable consumers – Energy Talk
Date: Wednesday 6 June, 10:00 – 10:30
Location: EU Sustainable Energy Week Networking Village, Residence Palace, Brussels
Join us for a quick-fire, interactive presentation of the project with the opportunity to ask questions and learn more from our speakers
SMART-UP will also be exhibiting at the Networking Village on the afternoon of the 5th June.
To register for the energy talk or other EUSEW events visit https://eusew.eu/
For more information on SMART-UP visit https://www.smartup-project.eu/ or contact Sarah.Wright@nea.org.uk