Making energy personal: Policy coordination challenges in UK smart meter implementation

Abstract

Governments are increasingly facilitating the roll-out of so-called “smart metres,” a technology for measuring energy consumption and able to transmit and receive data using a form of electronic communication. However, implementation has been slow or even stalled. To identify some of the causes for this, the policy coordination perspective serves as a lens to unravel the different elements involved in smart meter implementation. The research adds the demand and supply dimension to account for market dynamics and public engagement challenges in the process. A case study of the UK finds that government efforts are challenged by the timely and coherent coordination of diverse stakeholders and regulatory measures.