British Gas responds to Energy Secretary’s call for Smart Meters to be Rolled Out to ‘PAYG’ Customers

British Gas has responded to a call from Energy Secretary, Ed Davey, for all energy suppliers to ensure smart meters and associated pre-pay tariffs are rolled out to pay-as-you-go customers.

Stuart Rolland, Chief Operations Officer at British Gas said: “Ed Davey has challenged all suppliers to ensure that pay-as-you-go customers share in the benefits of innovative smart technology. British Gas says an enthusiastic “Yes!” to that challenge.

“We’re leading the industry on smart meters, and have already installed 1.3m of them in our customers’ homes and businesses. By the end of 2016 any British Gas customer who wants a pay-as-you-go smart meter will be able to get one, where that’s possible. We’ll start rolling those out next year.

“Smart technology should reduce costs over time, and we’ll pass those savings on to our customers: our aim is to make smart pay-as-you-go pricing as close as possible to what we offer credit customers paying by direct debit.

“Smart meters are changing the way customers use energy, showing them what they consume and what it costs in real time. That change is starting to bring savings in their bills — and we want all our customers to share in that benefit.”

“In future our pay-as-you -go customers won’t need to trudge to a post office or shop to queue and top up — they’ll be able to do it from home or on the move via a smartphone, which is a big step forward in convenience.”

British Gas is already preparing to start testing innovative new technology this summer which will allow pay-as-you-go customers to top up anywhere once they have had a smart meter fitted.

The trials for existing British Gas customers will scale up later in the year and through 2015. Eventually tens of thousands will be offered smart meters in a targeted roll-out which will prioritise customers whose existing pre-payment meter is due to be replaced.

SOURCE: British Gas