First Utility Signs up to Which? ‘Smart Meter Promise’

LEAMINGTON SPA, England, July 29, 2011 -

First Utility Support Which? Campaign on Smart Meter Roll-out

First Utility, the UK’s largest independent domestic energy company, was announced as one of the few UK energy firms to sign up to consumer watchdog Which?’s ‘Smart Meter Promise’ campaign.

The campaign aims to maintain high standards of ethics regarding the installation of smart meters, including a commitment not sell to customers when engineers are fitting a smart meter in the home.

First Utility is the largest energy firm to sign up, with none of the Big Six suppliers yet committing to the campaign. It is the first energy supplier in the UK to offer smart meters for free to all customers and has so far installed over 20,000 in households throughout the country.

Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director Richard Lloyd, says: “Smart meters have the potential to save consumers money on their energy bills. We’re pleased that a number of energy companies have signed up to our promise of ‘no selling, just installing’, as it shows a real commitment to doing the right thing by their customers.”

Mark Daeche, First Utility CEO, comments: “It’s vital that people have confidence when it comes to smart meters as the technology has such enormous potential to make a difference to the way they use and save energy. Smart meters take automatic, accurate meter readings throughout the day which we convert into useful information for our customers. Armed with this far greater knowledge, people can change their habits, save energy and ultimately cut their bills, which, with household budgets being squeezed, is a strong proposition.”

To find out more about our commitment to the Which? ‘No selling, just installing’ smart meter promise, visit www.which.co.uk/smart.

About First Utility:

First Utility is the smarter independent utilities supplier, offering electricity and gas services to a range of consumer and business customers. It is the only energy provider to roll out smart meters to all its customers, throughout the UK. It is through the use of smart metering technology that First Utility can empower consumers to manage and reduce their own energy consumption and bills. First Utility is headquartered in Warwick. www.first-utility.com

Further information, images and interviews. Please contact CubanEight (First Utility): Rachel Brewin - +44(0)1869-238089 / +44(0)7879-997-886 / rachelbrewin at cubaneight.com; Sian Gaskell - +44(0)1869-238089 / +44(0)7879-997-885 / siangaskell at cubaneight.com; Siobhan Eyres - +44(0)1869-238089 / +44(0)7912-283-862 / siobhaneyres at cubaneight.com