It sits in the hallway, glowing for all to see, a handy yet stress-inducing device that can make or ruin your day at the touch of a button. I'm talking of course about the smart meter, the device that's been the topic of conversation this month as energy bills soar.
More than 24 million of these are already in homes and businesses across the UK, and many householders are joining the huge sign-up lists for one from their energy supplier. They are replacing the traditional meters, including pre-pay key meters, and measure how much gas and electricity you’re using, as well as what it’s costing you.
It turns out the smart meter may actually be an important tool for measuring your energy usage as April sees the energy price cap, set by regulator Ofgem, go up by a whopping 54% if not more for some. The energy price cap, which limits the rates a supplier can charge for each unit of gas and electricity you use, jumped by £693 from £1,277 to £1,971 this month.
