Figures from Datamonitor place the cost of a French smart meter at $35 (£22) at most, while in the UK - where smart meters are equipped with sensors capable of assessing consumption of multiple utilities and reporting back to the provider - the price rises to $65.
Jon Lane, energy director at the analyst, warns that the technology has the potential to become a "white elephant" if it is not embraced by British households in a way that justifies its initial pricing.
He explains that it is the inclusion of communication capabilities and multi-utility detection that has driven the cost of a UK smart meter higher.
Previous UK initiatives - such as the Feed-in Tariffs scheme - have found success in offsetting installation costs against the savings in energy consumption that subsequently occur.
