ESG Metric: GHG Scope 3 emissions
Ease of implementation: Medium
Suitable for: Homeworker employees
Suggested functional lead: HR/ Communications team
Summary
A smart meter is a meter that communicates remotely with utility companies, automatically sending consumption data to your energy supplier and reporting your energy usage to a wireless visual display called an In-Home Display. Incentivising your staff to upgrade their gas and electricity meter at home is a great step towards reducing homeworker emissions, and it is completely free. The new meter means staff members can track and understand their gas and electricity usage better when working from home, proactively making small steps towards saving energy. To maximise energy saving potential and carbon reduction, it is crucial to provide resources such as Energy Saving Trust app, that provide tailored energy saving advice.
Background Information
The 2019 Smart Energy GB Report stated that 85% of smart meter households saved at least some energy due to behavioural change. Smart meters will contribute to 25% of CO2 savings within homes by 2035. It increased the transparency of energy usage, which allows efficient energy supply management through demand and supply from real-time energy data. This is an important step to pave the way for better renewable energy integration and to decarbonise the sector.
Implementation Steps
Collect information on the employees' current meters
Create and send out a simple Google form gather information on the number of employees with smart meters prior to promotion. Exclude these members from any promotional material to upgrade their meter. You may want to include them later on when suggesting energy saving advice methods.
Create Campaign
Create an information package to promote the upgrade to smart meters in your homeworkers’ homes. Consider including: the Government Smart Meter Guide, Octopus Energy Smart Meter Guide, Smart Energy GB Fact Sheets and the Age UK Smart Meter PDF. Assign responsibility to a member of the communications team to create an email campaign with the promotional information packages. Make it clear that the smart meters will help reduce emissions when the employee is working from home to help reduce company emissions but also the employees' day-to-day emissions . Consider using these existing campaigns here.
If you do not have the resources for an internal promotional campaign, consult external agencies or consultants such as Smart Energy GB or Carbon Trust.
Inform employees on tariffs and standing charges
Separate from the promotional campaign, you may want to provide additional information on energy suppliers and their varying tariffs and standing charges for smart meters in specific areas. They may find that there is a better deal out there. Suggest any price comparison website such as Uswitch will be helpful in identifying the best option and that the option may be different for each employee depending on their location.
Inform about smart meter options
Separate from the promotional campaign, you may want to separately inform staff members of the installation specifications and highlight the few locations where a smart meter will not work due poor network coverage. It is therefore crucial for each employee to work with the energy supplier and ensure all criteria are met.
Send out a form to assess installation rates
Even when all the information is available, not everyone will make the switch to a smart meter. This can sometimes be due to beliefs issues, bad press or landlord refusal. Send out a Google Form to assess how many members of staff have installed a smart meter installed since the promotional material was sent out.
Suggest energy saving material
Once installed, the smart meters will be able to see how much energy you usage every hour, creating transparency surrounding energy usage for homeworkers. It is crucial to couple this with resources for energy saving methods. Apps such as the Energy Saving Trust are free to download and provide individual customer advice to reduce energy usage and, thus, emissions. For more info and a free demo click here. Send out an email or promotional communication suggesting the use of energy saving apps such as this one for optimal carbon reduction.
Set incentive to continuously improve energy savings
Set up an initiative post-installation to incentivise home workers to reduce their emissions, specifically during working hours. Consider monthly competitions on most energy saved, daily check-ins on the energy used and regular reminders to switch off work appliances when on standby.
Estimated Costs
In the UK, there is currently no charge to upgrade a current meter to a smart meter. A fee may apply with new connection, which is when a customer requests to install a meter where there has never been one before e.g. in a new build or outhouse. New connections are rare for existing domestic properties, however if one is requested the installation will come at a cost of minimum £120. There may also be a cost if an external agency is hired for the promotional campaign.