The MP for Scarborough and Whitby says she's seen the results of her successful smart meter campaign in action during a visit to the Esk Valley.
After learning residents there were unable to access the technology, because long-range radio (LRR) was unable to penetrate the terrain, Alison Hume pledged she would help them fight to ensure they could use the same hubs as those already commonplace in other areas of the country including the south of England.
Having organised an ‘Ask Alison’ public meeting and Westminster summit on the issue, as well as liaising with officials from the Data Communications Company, Northern Powergrid, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the supply companies themselves, the roll-out of smart meters across the valley began.
Ken Hall, who lives in Sleights and led efforts on the ground, invited Ms Hume to see his home’s newly installed smart meter in action.
Paying tribute to Mr Hall’s “determination and persistence”, Ms Hume said:
“I promised Ken and his friends that we’d fix this and we have.
“The pressure paid off and now people in the Esk Valley can have smart meters fitted which live up to their name, not the dumb meters they were saddled with before.”
Reminding how many people found themselves stuck on the wrong utility tariffs or were unable to transfer to cheaper ones because their meters would not update, Ms Hume added:
“This is a big win and, importantly, a big community win.
“I want to say a huge ‘Thank you’ to Ken and everyone else from the Whitby and Scarborough Smart Meter Action Group, many of whom travelled down to Westminster for the summit.
“Their words there made a huge difference, as did their knowledge.
“In a world full of bad news, it’s wonderful to be able to share something positive, something which came about because people worked together for the common good.”
Following Ms Hume’s summit, the Labour government updated installation rules so that all energy suppliers operating in the North must fit cellular hubs in locations where LRR signals do not function.
Momentum increased further when a 4G rollout across the North, strengthening the digital backbone needed for the next generation of smart‑meter communications, was announced.
Mr Hall said:
“It transpires that when the contracts were drawn up, back around 2009, someone from government had decided to divide country into North and South, either side of a line from Liverpool to Hull.
“The south got cellular data hubs whereas the North was to be trialled by LRR.
“Until the Whitby and Scarborough SMART Meter Action Team working with Alison took action in the form of a summit conference at Westminster, it was deemed by government to be ‘illegal’ to install cellular hubs in the north, in place of non-functioning LRR hubs.”
“Our effective campaign has led to hundreds of working smart meters being installed in the Esk Valley and forced a change in government policy for the whole of the North.”
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