REM: Savings of £100+ per annum for consumers are achievable

UK technology company Remote Energy Monitoring Ltd (REM) today welcomed the Government’s decision to introduce smart metering technology to UK homes and small businesses. It pointed out that choosing the latest technology could result in more rapid delivery of higher savings for consumers than the latest Government estimates.

John Roberts, Chairman of REM, said: “This is a major step forward and will enable better energy management in homes and businesses. REM has developed a smart meter that exceeds the industry’s requirements and offers a flexible and future-proofed solution for energy suppliers. Our system also provides the information intelligence technology to help consumers make the right decisions to save on energy costs.“

The company also welcomed the Government’s requirement that real time information is made available in a readily accessible form in addition to fixed in-home displays.

REM has developed a multi-channel access technology that allows users to select a channel of choice – TV, mobile phone or computer. In each case, consumers are provided with energy information intelligence in a meaningful and relevant way – for example daily usage balances sent by SMS to the consumer’s mobile each morning, exception reports based on user set energy budgets sent to the TV and, for the more sophisticated user, bill forecasting based on demographics and weather forecasts provided via the home computer.

REM believes its technology provides a fast track to annual average savings of circa £100, compared to the latest Government estimate of £28, and a much more rapid payback of the investment in smart meters.

The required level of investment is massive and to help protect this investment REM has developed a modular meter which allows communications modules for both the WAN and LAN to be interchanged. This future-proofed technology, in which REM believes it leads the world, will be of key importance over the next year while the details of the central communication hub are finalised.