Energy companies aren't going to slurp your personal data. Honest

Labour MP brands issue confusing after foggy answers from minister

UK Energy Secretary Amber Rudd has made an assurance that consumers will be able opt out of having their smart meter energy data shared with companies, in a letter to Labour MP Chi Onwurah seen by The Register.

In a Parliamentary response last month Rudd initially said: "The data are protected... and they belong not to the Government – which some people might, not unreasonably, fear – but to the energy companies."

But Onwurah said the answer was "not reassuring" given the growing discomfort over companies such as Google and Facebook sharing data with third parties for profit.

In a subsequent follow-up letter to Onwurah, Rudd said she wanted to clarify one further point in regards to energy suppliers access to their customers' data.

She said any access to more granular information - such as hourly energy consumption usage - requires the consumer's "explicit consent."

The widely-hated and much-delayed smart meter programme has been labelled a huge waste of money, by a former Conservative Party energy adviser. Fears have also been raised that the scheme may create a backdoor for hackers. ®