Drive to boost air quality increases smart meter uptake

Ongoing attempts to boost air quality throughout Europe will lead to significant uptake of smart meters across a number of countries.

Based on growth figures from 2010, Frost & Sullivan has predicted that the use of the devices will increase by 26 per cent by 2017.

Smart meters are installed in households and businesses with the purpose of providing up-to-date read outs on how much energy is being consumed in the property.

It is hoped that they will help alter consumers' attitudes towards power wastage.

Analysts at the firm believe the UK, France and Spain will be the main drivers of the technology over the next few years.

Indeed, the UK government has outlined its intention to roll out 53 million of the gas and electricity monitors by 2019.

The EU has highlighted a number of areas in which it wants to see improvements made in order cut the amount of pollution being released into the atmosphere, one of which is the shipping industry.

It recently revealed it will cut the amount of sulphur content in boat fuel to 0.1 per cent by 2015.

Posted by Lauren Steadman