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    Central heating Smart Meters: what you need to know

    Could central heating Smart Meters allow homeowners to save more money and heating oil in future?

    In recent years, homeowners, heating oil users, energy suppliers and the government have all been alerted to the importance of saving energy and reducing carbon emissions wherever possible. Of course, it also helps if you can save a bit of money along the way, and nowhere is this more important than where domestic heating is concerned. Energy efficient condensing boilers have increased in popularity across the UK, but most people are in agreement that more needs to be done to ensure that homeowners use their heating systems even more efficiently. With this in mind, Smart Meters have become the newest innovation in vogue with energy providers and homeowners alike.So, what are central heating Smart Meters? Smart Meters are intended to replace the old-fashioned analogue meters present in many homes across the country and are capable of communicating via mobile phone signals or radio signals with both suppliers and homeowners alike. The government plans to fit every home in the UK with a Smart Meter by 2020 in an effort to cut down on energy wastage and reduce the nation's carbon footprint. So, what exactly do Smart Meters do, and how will they help? Monitoring – Smart Meters will give you real-time data on the amount of energy you're using at any given time, helping you to use your heating oil or electricity in a more efficient, responsible manner. Wastage – Mains suppliers of gas and electricity cannot currently calculate individual users' consumption in real time, meaning that often more power is generated than is actually needed, and this can simply go to waste. Smart Meters mean that this need no longer be the case. Carbon footprint – By using energy in a more responsible manner, Smart Meters will allow both homeowners and suppliers to cut down on carbon emissions, reducing their carbon footprint. Resources – Regardless of whether you use heating oil or mains heating, you're contributing to the depletion of fossil fuel resources. Smart Meters will allow both homeowners and suppliers to reduce fossil fuel wastage and preserve our precious resources.Money – Heating oil and mains power costs money, and the more you use the more you spend. By using a Smart Meter, you'll be able to reduce the amount of oil, gas or electricity you waste, reducing your utility bills.Any measure that can allow homeowners to take more care over their energy usage is surely a good thing, but 8 years is a long time to wait for a Central Heating Smart Meter to be installed.