Information Commissioner’s Office Says it will Keep Close Eye on Smart Meters

Just recently the Information Commissioner’s Office said that it will be keeping a very close eye on how energy companies use the data that is pulled from smart meters. This announcement comes after privacy concerns were brought up about the introduction of these smart meters.

All homes in the UK are expected to be fitted with these so called smart meters by 2020. The coalition government has signaled its support for the roll out of these meters. However, the Information Commissioner’s Office said that data security must be examined if smart meters are to make a viable contribution to the reduction of energy consumption.

Experts went on to given an example by saying that, by monitoring energy usage, these smart meters will be able to show the times that homeowners tend to leave their properties, or when they go to bed. This is information that most people do not want in anyone’s hands.

A spokesman for the Information Commissioner’s Office said that energy companies will obviously need to hold such records in order to send out accurate bills. However, all this information must be held in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

The director of Energy UK, Christine McGourty, said that every effort is being made to ensure that any security issues are being identified. Not only are they being identified but resolved before the mass roll out of these smart meters.

Most people agree that the plan to introduce these new smart meters is a good one. However, with most good plans, there are a few drawbacks. The private information that these smart meters can obtain from homeowners is one of them.