Kelly Rebecca Prime

My ESRC South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership funded PhD project considers the future of smart meters in the UK, their implications for energy justice and how policy may mitigate potential injustices in the future.

Current research into smart meters has highlighted how policy expects this technology to actively engage end users with their energy consumption, allowing them to make more active choices of energy usage. However, energy usage in the home is often invisible and wrapped up in energy intensive practices. I intend to create a workshop using visual methods to make visible practices surrounding meters and their connection to the wider energy infrastructure. From here, participants will be supported to ideate on potential smart meter futures and begin discussing issues of fairness and justice. Data produced during these workshops will be analysed to consider what policies could be put in place to mitigate potential injustices caused by a smart meter future.