Onzo

This week’s Queen’s Speech, setting out the government’s legislative plans for the next parliamentary session, was delivered on Wednesday. It is no real surprise there were no proposals on energy in the Speech. Two major pieces of legislation, the Energy Bill and the Climate Change Bill, came into force only days before. The first mandates the roll-out of smart meters by 2020, with a two year preparation period, and the second enshrines in law the target of an 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050. If this target is to be taken seriously, the reduction of output from the home is essential – domestic emissions account for more than a third of the total – and our products and services have the potential to play a vital part in the process. Moreover, their importance should not be downplayed because of the projected smart meter roll-out. They will be invaluable tools for understanding and managing energy use for many years before that process is completed, and of course we are already working on our broader smart grid solution.