All homes in Britain are to have "smart meters" installed by 2020 to record energy use, under plans announced by the government on Monday.
The new meters would mean an end to estimated gas and electricity bills, no waiting in for a meter reader to call, and would allow householders to see how much energy they are using, ministers say.
"The meters most of us have in our homes were designed for a different age, before climate change. Now we need to get smarter with our energy," said Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband.
"Smart meters will also mean the end of inaccurate bills and estimated meter readings."
