AIR POLLUTION AND RED DIESEL
Gordon Brown's government announced the smart meter implementation program (SMIP) in 2006 - every home will have one by 2020, the biggest infrastructure change since natural gas in 1974. Eleven years later we have not seen much progress. True about 25% are installed, but these are only compatible with a single energy supplier. When you change, the meter becomes dumb and needs to be replaced. At £250 a pop, and 10% churn, that's a cost of £25 per household per annum, greater than the £18 savings from being "in control". Not very smart according to recent papers by the Institute of Directors (IoD), Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) and several BBC broadcasts.
Now, I don't want to launch into a political rant but it often appears that politicians are only concerned with winning the popular support of the electorate. They avoid confronting the difficult issues and students of BBC sitcoms know that the words most likely to strike fear into the heart of Jim Hacker MP, were: " … a very brave decision minister."
Am I a Green Liberal or a Liberal Green?
draft for agm 2017 docs