New measures unveiled by the government will help homeowners reduce their energy bills by allowing them to monitor their energy usage.

Announced by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the amendments mean all homeowners will have a smart meter installed by the end of 2020, with the aim of reducing carbon emissions.

"Smart meters will put the power in people's hands, enabling us all to control how much energy we use, cut emissions and cut bills," commented Energy and Climate Change Minister Lord Hunt.

The government will assign £6 million of funding to make sure the project is rolled out across all UK homes and that all energy suppliers are able to provide the necessary equipment to their customers.

The energy companies themselves will be responsible for installing the meters, which will give people a real-time picture of how much energy they use - allowing them to realise where they need to cut down.

Peter Jenkins, head of communications and public affairs at the Energy Retail Association, recently pushed for in-house displays to be used so people can easily access the information from their smart meters.

"Energy companies should not be restricted to providing a 'one size fits all' device over the next 12 years and should be allowed to offer customers precisely the kind of display they would find most useful," he suggested.

This could be achieved through a number of devices, Mr Jenkins suggested, including mobile phones, digital TVs or personal computers.

Information made available to consumers needs to be both detailed yet accessible, as this will be the first time they are able to see for themselves just how much energy they consume, he continued.

The government has a number of years to get the smart meter scheme in place, with its real impact on energy bills yet to be seen.