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The UK Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has now backed down from plans to mandate electricity suppliers to provide real-time electricity meter usage information to their residential customers, opting instead to reach a voluntary agreement with electricity suppliers to provide real-time display devices.

However, the costs cited in the government鈥檚 feasibility study have been questioned by suppliers. The rollout of smart meters to homes across the country could cost at least 拢7.2bn less than government estimates, according to metering experts.

Figures released by the government following a study by engineering firm Mott Macdonald placed rollout of the meters at 拢16.1bn.

However, Ampy Metering, which is supplying smart meters to three of the four UK trials, believes the government is being too cautious, overestimating costs by between 45 and 100%.

鈥淭his method is based on the mechanics of the construction industry and is not appropriate for devising the impact assessment of smart meters,鈥� said Dave Robinson, business development manager at Ampy Metering.

鈥淚t makes no allowance for the fact that the utilities industry knows how much the core product costs to manufacture and install.

鈥淭he cost of setting-up communication networks does need to be established, but even with current estimates of 拢2.4 billion it鈥檚 highly unlikely to lead to the total cost of transition reaching 拢16.1 billion.鈥�