Companies are being asked whether they want to see the UK's first smart metered business district set up in the Northern Quarter, as part of an energy-cutting scheme supported by the Manchester City Council.

If the Manchester Smart Energy project is given the go-ahead, discounted smart meters - which enable users to see how much electricity they are using in 'real time' as opposed to waiting for quarterly bills - will be offered to businesses in the city centre district.

The meters include display devices that tell the user how much energy they are using at any given time, how much it is costing them, and how much carbon that energy is burning up. Some enable their owners to compare their usage with that of previous days, while others incorporate traffic light systems to show how their usage is changing.

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The meters will mean companies can easily see where they are wasting energy and work out ways of lowering their bills.

A City Council-funded study is now due to take place, which it is hoped will lead to a pilot being held in the city centre district before the scheme is rolled out across the rest of Greater Manchester.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Executive Member for Environment at Manchester City Council said: "We want to make a real difference by creating the country's first smart metered business district.

"It will give businesses better control of their energy bills - something everyone wants to do at the moment - while also taking action to reduce their carbon footprint and help tackle climate change. I hope we'll see companies flock to take part in this study."

(CD/JM)