New figures have shown that just 6 per cent of businesses believe promoting the use of smart meters should be a priority for the government.

This is compared to 55 per cent of businesses who would like the government to offer more grants and tax breaks towards to the cost of energy efficiency measures, according to the Energy Insight report from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and British Gas.

British Gas Business managing director Gab Barbaro said: “Despite great attention from the energy industry about the benefits of smart meters, the interest among businesses remains low. This is despite the fact that they will end estimated bills and give businesses vital insight into what they are actually using, where and when.

“This suggests to me that suppliers and government have additional work to do to promote their use as tools for understanding and targeting energy reduction. This is something we continue to do with our own customers, and we’re encouraging them to apply early for a new meter on our website now.”

The report also highlighted that only 8 per cent of businesses would support more information on energy efficiency.

British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) director of research and economics Mike Spicer said in the report: “They are aware of the benefits; they just don’t feel that the economics stack up for them. It is clear that for the government and energy providers, more must be done to encourage these measures, such as the use of smart meters.”