College powers ahead with new Smart Meter Installation Academy

A new academy is to be launched at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) in response to a national roll-out of smart meters.

The Smart Meter Installation Academy, run in partnership with Nationwide Training Services (NTS), will be opened at the College’s Tottenham Centre on 5 October.

Smart meters keep track of real-time energy usage, avoiding the need for customers to stay at home for meter readings or receive over-estimated bills.

The Government has made a commitment to install 50 million gas and electric smart meters at domestic and commercial premises by 2020.

Energy companies say smart meters will reduce running costs in relation to enquiries about estimated bills and also help meet UK targets for cutting carbon emissions.

The academy will offer a 14-month apprenticeship or a short 14-week Dual Fuel Smart Meter Installer course at a new workshop at CONEL’s Tottenham Centre.

Ian Dean, Director and founder of NTS, said: “This fantastic new academy will form a key part of the Government’s mandate to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy management.

“Apprentices and students will be taught not only how to install electric or gas meters, but also meter testing and maintenance, risk assessment, codes of practice and health and safety regulations.”

Smart meters were first adopted in Britain in 2009, and there are now over 6.78 million smart and advanced meters operating across homes and businesses in Great Britain.

Latest figures show that more than a million domestic smart meters were installed by large energy suppliers in the first quarter of 2017 – a 10 per cent increase on the previous quarter.

This represented a six per cent increase in overall smart and advanced meter installations compared to the last quarter of 2016.

Jackie Chapman, Director of Employability and Employer Engagement, said: “At CONEL we work closely with business and industry to develop new apprenticeships and courses.

“We’re delighted to be working with NTS on this exciting new project, which will provide hundreds of employment opportunities in the foreseeable future and longer term as smart meters are introduced across the country.”

Anyone interested in attending the launch can reply through Eventbrite or by email