First Utility, the UK's largest independent domestic energy company, was announced as one of the few UK energy firms to sign up to consumer watchdog Which?'s 'Smart Meter Promise' campaign.

The campaign aims to maintain high standards of ethics regarding the installation of smart meters, including a commitment not sell to customers when engineers are fitting a smart meter in the home.

First Utility is the largest energy firm to sign up, with none of the Big Six suppliers yet committing to the campaign. It is the first energy supplier in the UK to offer smart meters for free to all customers and has so far installed over 20,000 in households throughout the country.

Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director Richard Lloyd, says: "Smart meters have the potential to save consumers money on their energy bills. We're pleased that a number of energy companies have signed up to our promise of 'no selling, just installing', as it shows a real commitment to doing the right thing by their customers."

Mark Daeche, First Utility CEO, comments: "It's vital that people have confidence when it comes to smart meters as the technology has such enormous potential to make a difference to the way they use and save energy. Smart meters take automatic, accurate meter readings throughout the day which we convert into useful information for our customers. Armed with this far greater knowledge, people can change their habits, save energy and ultimately cut their bills, which, with household budgets being squeezed, is a strong proposition."