Labour’s Alistair Darling and David Miliband have proposed a new plan to make real-time electricity monitors available free of charge to all households in Britain to help combat climate change.

Under Labour’s plans, electricity suppliers would be required to provide these displays free to all customers who want them. All new and replacement household electricity meters would also come with a visual display.

Real time electricity monitors show how much electricity is being used and what it costs from moment to moment. They help people cut back on unnecessary use, saving money and cutting emissions of carbon dioxide from power stations, the main greenhouse gas causing global warming and climate change.

One estimate from Labour suggests that British homes are collectively wasting £900 million of electricity a year by leaving appliances on while they’re not being used. A typical household could cut its electricity bill by £25 a year simply by turning appliances off instead of leaving them on stand-by.

Labour plans the roll out of the monitors with all new electricity meters and to households which request one. The plan could cut UK carbon dioxide emissions by 400,000 tonnes a year by 2010, equivalent to taking about 100,000 cars off the road.

A recent survey by the Energy Saving Trust showed that most people wanted better information about their energy use. Another survey by Logica CMG of over 2,000 people in the UK, found that 82% would like a real time display.

David Miliband MP, Labour’s Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said: “People want to do their bit to help protect the environment. If they can save money at the same time, all the better. Visual display units provided free of charge will help people do both.

“Electricity meters tend to be out of sight and out of mind. Visual display units can be put in a prominent place, for example the kitchen. They provide information on electricity use from moment to moment, helping cut unnecessary use, for example by reminding people to turn appliances off rather than leave them on stand-by.”