In the UK, the Energy Saving Trust centralizes all the information on
available grants at all levels, and promotes partnerships for the supply of energy efficiency
products, complementing other policies.
Detailed billing and smart meters provide consumers with detailed information about their
consumption, either real time (smart-meters/real-time displays) or deferred
(detailed/more frequent billing)36. The electricity savings induced with direct feedback
range from 5-15%37 (Darby, 2006). Factors that hamper the take-off of direct feedback
tools can include the up-front costs of the device, imperfect information, specific regulatory
barriers, and uncertainty. The ownership structure of the networks also complicates the
roll-out. In the UK, the rolling-out of smart-meters in every home by 2020 has recently
been decided (DECC, 2009). However, some crucial issues remain unresolved, especially as
regard the treatment of consumption data, including the possibility for utilities to
discriminate between consumers. Full results of trials, such as the UK Demand Reduction
will be available in 2011 and might shed some light on those issues.