It should come as little surprise that the boss of British Gas is pushing for the mandatory installation of smart meters. They are the means by which energy firms could hike bills with Uber-style surge pricing. The energy industry will probably tell us it is all about helping Britain reach its net zero commitments, but the vested interest is plain to see. Smart tariffs, as they will be called, may be smart if you are a company wanting to maximise its profits. They may also work for those with a house stuffed full of AI technology, which will be able to make the most of cheap tariffs, and turn your appliances on and off accordingly. But for ordinary people they will be a nightmare. We will all be left sitting nervously by the electricity meter, wondering whether we can afford to heat our dinner or put the washing on.    The variability in pricing which would be necessary to cope with a grid highly dependent on intermittent wind and solar could be huge. At present, wind and solar can generate over half the nation’s electricity – or less than one per cent of it, depending on weather conditions. That doesn’t matter so...