Adverts for the Government’s smart meter roll out banned from claiming the devices are ‘free’
October 27, 2018
By Paul Homewood
A victory of sorts!
Adverts for the Government’s smart meter roll out have been wrongly claiming the meters are “free”, advertising regulators have said.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal that the Advertising Standards Authority has told Smart Energy GB, the industry body which produces the adverts, to stop making the claim in TV, radio and print adverts.
The smart meter rollout was originally estimated to cost energy companies £11bn, equivalent to around £200 per household, with providers expected to pass on the costs to customers through higher bills.
But as the cost of the programme is spiraling energy firms have blamed smart meters as a reason for a string of controversial price hikes.
The ASA said that because people would be paying for smart meters indirectly through their bills they were not a “genuine free offer”, meaning they should not be described as free. The case was resolved via a so-called “informal ruling”, meaning Smart Energy GB avoided having the details of the case published on the ASA’s website.
via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
October 27, 2018 at 05:09AM
Iowa Climate Science Education 