Consumers who have had smart meters fitted in their home are more likely to trust the accuracy of their energy bills and have enough information to chose the right tariff, according to a new study.

Research among more than 10,000 adults showed an increasing awareness of smart meters, with one in 10 of those who know about them already having one.

The meters, aimed at helping customers monitor and manage their power use, will be offered to every home and micro-business in Britain by 2020.

Baroness McDonagh, who chairs Smart Energy, which is promoting the roll-out of meters, said: "At this early stage it is good to see that already 18% of the population know what a smart meter is."