Stuart 
I seem to see lots of marketing for smart meters suggesting that getting one is the answer to climate change, reducing energy use, and energy security. A smart meter does not change your usage for you though; you still have to decide to change/reduce your energy use. I feel as though the fraction of marketing for energy reduction is much less than for telling people that getting a smart meter is the solution.
It just feels like lots of "slow nudge" aimed at consumers which there isn't time for. It'd be far more effective to stop political blocking of various renewable energy generation projects and to proactively get people off gas. Also change the rules to stop the most expensive energy sources setting the prices?
And rather than have "Einstein" invoke patriotism just to get some automatic meters installed, use it to encourage a mass reduction in car use and a switch to public transport and/or active travel. Make it our collective aim to actually reduce our emissions, improve our air quality, our health, our neighbourhoods etc. And, yes, seriously fund public transport/active travel to make it work.
Kathy Chandler 🌻@slowe And greater focus on insulating houses, which has the added bonus of reducing people's energy bills.
@DrKathyChandler Yes. This too! As someone who rents, I have disincentives to spend money insulating my landlord's property as it can make it increase in value potentially putting my rent up and the landlord could decide to evict me so I'd lose the benefits of what I'd spent. My landlord has no incentive to insulate the property as the negative affects are only on me.
HilaryYes. Although please, if you're thinking of installing external insulation on non-cavity walls, don't make the same mistake as us by asking for planning permission. After a two-year saga, I reckon we've given up.
@regordane @slowe That's so frustrating. These sorts of applications should really get priority.
@slowe We had a smart meter installed. After seeing that it works (high consumption when oven or kettle in use and mostly zero if the sun's shining on the solar panels) I decided that the first and easiest thing to switch off was the smart meter monitor itself.
Ok, that's only a tiny energy saving, but every little helps.