The Department for Energy and Climate Change has confirmed that having a smart meter installed in one’s home is to become optional rather than compulsory.

Ostensibly, campaigners’ fears over health and privacy issues have won the day. However, at this time of ongoing economic recession, it may be that the £12 billion cost of fitting smart technology to meter utilities usage in every UK home by 2020 has just proven too much.

"Smash the smart grid!"

Energy minister Charles Hendry said: “We believe people will benefit from having smart meters. But we will not make them obligatory.”

Bill Esterson, MP for Sefton Central, is now urging the Government to say whether smart meters will come with health warnings.

A Telegraph article breaking the news is at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/financialservices/utilities/Business-energy/9053100/Smart-meters-for-energy-to-be-voluntary.html.

One less battle … Very good news indeed!