Delayed Isle of Man smart meter project to start in June

About 50,000 smart meters are due to be installed across the island

A delayed project to upgrade electricity meters in all homes on the Isle of Man is to begin in June, energy supplier Manx Utilities has said.

The £18.2m scheme had been due to start in early 2020 but disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic caused delays.

The four-year project will see about 50,000 analogue devices replaced.

Manx Utilities chairman Tim Baker said the smart meters would modernise the island's electricity infrastructure.

The devices would also help by "enabling consumers to make informed choices for the future", he added.

Homes in the north of the island with prepayment metres will be the first to receive the upgrade.

'More precise'

Smart metres have been rolled out across several European countries and many older analogue devices are no longer in production.

Using the metres would allow for energy production to be “more precise” and reduce waste, a spokeswoman said.

The overall cost for the project will be funded by £10m from the Manx Treasury and Manx Utilities' annual budget, and will be spread over 10 years.

About 15,000 consoles have been manufactured for the first stage of the project, which will include residential and business properties.

The smart meters will operate on a single dedicated wireless network across the island.