The Energy Retail Association, energywatch and Utility Week have joined forces to call upon the UK government to turn its promise to bring smart meters into UK homes into a detailed plan of action to deliver the goods.

The partnership has called upon the government to mandate the installation of smart meters in the home of every gas and electricity consumer within 10 years, and to scrap its proposal to install interim devices such as electricity displays and concentrate efforts on a fast smart meter rollout.

The alliance has also asked the government to ensure that smart meters are delivered at the least cost to consumers. Smart meters automatically send energy use data to the supplier and keep the consumer up to date with information on energy consumption in their home.

Allan Asher, CEO of energywatch, said: Three in every four complaints to energywatch are about billing and metering. Smart metering could make estimated bills and the frustration they bring a thing of the past.

By mandating the introduction of smarter metering, the government could improve the lives of millions of consumers – yet it is dithering. We still do not have a road map of when or how Britain’s consumers are going to get smart, up to date and usable information on their energy use.

Duncan Sedgwick, CEO of the Energy Retail Association, said: Now is the golden opportunity for the government to give us the green light to roll out smart meters across Britain. They will radically change the energy industry and put customers in the driving seat. We hope that an unambiguous mandate – to fit smart electricity and gas meters in every home within 10 years – will be the conclusion of this public consultation period.