Lib Dems Call for Smart Meters "On Hire" at Libraries

1.54.24pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 3rd Apr 2009

Liberal Democrats at the County Council are trying to help residents during these difficult times by introducing measures to maintain lower fuel bills. Many families have been hit hard by the recession and need to cut their outgoings so we would like to introduce them to "smart meters". These can be plugged into every home so that householders are aware how much electricity their electrical appliances are using. In turn this then helps them reduce their energy bills, by turning off "greedy" appliances, and thus reducing carbon emissions and helping to tackle fuel poverty.

These will be made available through local libraries so that residents can either buy them or hire them for their own use to test their electrical appliances. A similar scheme was a huge success in Lib Dem run York so we would like to replicate this for Oxfordshire.

Cllr. Zoe Patrick, Liberal Democrat Leader who is proposing a motion at next week's Council meeting calling for the County Council look into this, says, "I think this is a real positive step that we can take as a council to help target those families in need and at the same time help reduce our carbon footprint. Reducing household bills during this time of recession can only benefit residents who are struggling to cope."