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SMART METERS EXPLAINED

Smart meters are being installed by energy suppliers. Every home in England, Scotland and Wales will be offered the opportunity to upgrade to a smart meter by their energy supplier before the end of the rollout.

WHAT IS A SMART METER?

A smart meter is the next generation of a gas and electricity meter.

They are being installed in homes across Great Britain at no extra cost, to replace the traditional meters including prepay key meters, most of us currently have ticking away under the stairs, or outside our homes.

Smart meters measure how much gas and electricity you’re using, as well as what it’s costing you and display this on a handy in-home display.

HOW DO THEY WORK?

With a smart meter you can wave goodbye to estimated billing. The smart meter shows a digital meter reading and uses a secure smart data network (managed by the DCC) to automatically and wirelessly send the readings to your energy supplier at least once a month, so you will receive accurate, not estimated bills.

Smart meters also come with an in-home display screen that shows you exactly how much energy you're using in pounds and pence, in near real time.

: The smart meter is made up of two parts - the smart meters, which replace your traditional gas and electricity meters, and the in-home display - a portable screen that shows you how much gas and electricity you're using and how much it's costing you.

Both parts of the system work together to ensure you receive accurate information about your energy use. Your smart meter records your electricity use in near-real time and every half hour for gas. The meter then securely shares these readings automatically with your supplier in-home display for you to see.

You have the option to have this information sent to your supplier monthly, daily or even half hourly. The more frequently your supplier receives this data, the better they could advise you on where you can make savings. Smart meters can also help reconnect you more efficiently should your energy supply be cut off unexpectedly.

HOW CAN I GET A SMART METER?

Your supplier will be in touch when your smart meter is ready to be installed. If you would like to enquire about getting one now, please contact your energy supplier here.

Smart meters and the in-home display will be provided and fitted by your energy supplier. If your supplier is using third party installers, your energy supplier will let you know who they are and when they’re coming.

CAN I GET A SMART METER IF I LIVE IN A RENTED PROPERTY OR BLOCK OF FLATS?

Many homes can upgrade to a smart meter right now - but where you live, the type of home you live in, and the age and type of your existing meter may mean that your energy supplier will take a little longer to get yours to you. Contact your supplier to find out if a smart meter is suitable for your property.

WHY SHOULD I GET A SMART METER?

They could help you save money.

Smart meters come with an in-home display which shows how much energy is being used in near real time. You can see what you're spending in pounds and pence, which may encourage you to reduce your energy consumption.

According to Delta-ee, an energy research company, making small steps in your home could save customers over £50, or £100+ in households with medium to high energy consumption.

You’ll be helping us reduce our carbon footprint as a nation.

From the moment your smart meter is installed, you are helping to reduce our carbon emissions as a nation - even without making changes at home to use less energy.

This is because smart meters are the foundation to a smarter energy system. With the information they offer, they will help us better integrate renewable power, such as wind, solar and hydro power, and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. By decarbonising our energy system, we will dramatically reduce our nation’s carbon footprint on the whole.

DO I NEED TO GET A NEW SMART METER EVERY TIME I SWITCH SUPPLIERS?

No, you don’t have to get a new smart meter when you switch energy supplier. With one of the SMETS2 meters, you should be able to switch energy suppliers without any interruption to your energy readings, bill payments or gas and electricity supply.

If you have a SMETS1 meter you may need to send in your meter readings in order to get an accurate bill following a switch (just as you would with traditional meters). But this is a temporary situation and does not affect your ability to switch your energy supplier – so you can go ahead and change your gas or electricity supplier.

CAN I GET A SMART METER FOR FREE?

There is no extra cost for the in-home display. You won't have an extra charge on your bill because you choose to have a smart meter. The costs will be spread across everyone's bills, just like the cost of running and maintaining today's traditional meters are.

WHAT DOES A SMART METER LOOK LIKE?

A smart meter comes in two main parts and will be installed by your energy supplier(s). Your traditional gas and electric meters will be replaced with smart meters which send your meter readings to your energy supplier(s).

You will also receive an in-home display which will show you how much energy you're using in pounds and pence.

IF YOU HAVE A PREPAY METER:

Smart meters are set up to work for both prepay and credit customers, so that means prepay needn't be any more expensive.

In fact, prepay customers will be able to access time-of-use tariffs, which can help you save money if you are able to use less energy during periods of high demand (known as peak periods) and more energy during periods of low demand (known as off peak periods).

ON AN IN-HOME DISPLAY YOU'LL BE ABLE TO READ:

how much energy was used in the last hour, week and month (and what it cost)
at a glance, whether your electricity use is high, medium or low
updates in near real time for electricity and every half hour for gas

: In-home displays are portable devices that can sit anywhere in the home. They communicate with your smart meter and show you how much gas and electricity you're using, in pounds and pence.

There are various settings, which allow you to view your energy usage by the day, per week or per month. This means you can more accurately manage your costs and budgets. Being able to view the details of your gas and electricity usage on your in-home display makes it easier to identify situations where you may be using a lot of energy and help you figure out ways in which you could reduce this.

Seeing how much energy you're using as you use it means that, on those cold winter nights when you might be worried about the cost of turning up your heating, you can stay warm knowing exactly what it's costing you.

Having this information also means you will be able to switch to a better deal more confidently.

Accessible in-home displays are now available for people with impairments, including sight. Contact your supplier to find out what's available.

Whilst all in-home displays will, as a minimum, provide the same information by law, they won't all look the same as each energy supplier provides their own make of display. But, no matter what yours looks like, your in-home display will put you firmly in control of your energy use.

IF YOU HAVE A PRE-PAY METER YOUR IHD WILL SHOW YOU:

how much credit you have left
how much emergency credit you have (and when it has been activated)
your debt balance (if you have one)
if your credit’s getting low

The video below shows how Elspeth is using her smart meter to reduce her energy bills:

: My name is Elspeth Kerr. I live in a three bedroom house with my husband, my two daughters, who are grown up, and my dog, my cat, my rabbit.

We had a prepay meter and really wanted to get a smart meter so it was about a year and a half ago that we got one. We got a smart meter installed because we wanted to have more control over our spending.

The best thing about having a smart meter installed is that we've got a display unit in a prominent place where we can see in pounds and pence quite easily how much is left on it and what the usage is. Also, it's in the living room where when it starts to beep, to let us know that it's low and we need to top it up. It's not hidden in a cupboard somewhere and we know to do it.

Before we had a prepayment meter, before we had a smart meter, we had to physically go and have a look in the cupboard or down really low, where it was really awkward to see how much was left on it. So it was far handier having it out in the open where we know when to top it up.

A good thing about having the smart meter is I can see how much energy is being used at any given time. And we've realised that the shower actually uses a lot of energy. So I have said to my daughter, that showers need to be shorter to try and conserve the energy. Whenever we see it going into the amber or the red we look about and see what's on to see if things can get switched off so that we know what is running at any given time.

My favourite features of the in-home display are that I can see how much is being used at any a given time, and see how much has been used that day in pounds and pence. Also, I don’t have to leave the house to top it up. I just go online on my phone and top it up through that, really easily. So having a smart meter has actually, has made it easier for us to keep the cost down and be consistent with how much or how little we're using.

Yeah I would definitely recommend having a smart meter for anybody especially on prepayment because it's so easy to top up online without having to go to the shop or bend down to a gas meter You know, when it's that easy, why wouldn't you?

IS MY DATA SAFE?

The data your smart meter captures about your energy usage is strongly protected by law. You have control over it, including the right to decide:

how often your smart meter sends data to your energy supplier (monthly is minimum, daily or half-hourly are optional)
whether to share data with other organisations, like price comparison websites
if your supplier can use your meter readings for sales and marketing purposes

Smart meters were designed in consultation with the UK's top security experts, and can only measure the amount of energy you use.

Personal details like your name, address and bank account details are not stored on, or transmitted by, your smart meter.

If you have other concerns about smart meters, take a look at our mythbusting smart meter problems article for the facts.

IS THE INSTALLATION SAFE?

Yes, smart meters and their installation are safe.

they comply with UK and EU safety standards, and all smart meters meet the same safety standards, regardless of your energy supplier
they are fitted by trained installers who have passed formal qualifications which are set out in the Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice
during the installation, the trained installer will perform visual safety checks to identify signs of risk in your gas appliances, and in some instances have identified problems with appliances in customers’ homes

SO, WHAT IS A SMART METER?

Today's technology has come so far, from folding computers to electric cars, it's an exciting time.

When talking about exciting developments, we can't forget the smart meter. It's the next generation of a gas and electricity meter – replacing our outdated analogue meters. It keeps track of how much gas and electricity you're using, as well as what it's costing you and lets you see that in near-real time.

But how does it work? The smart meter shows a digital meter reading and uses a secure smart data network to automatically send the reading to your energy supplier. That means you get accurate, not estimated bills, without needing to take a manual reading. Pretty smart, right?

FAQS

Can I switch tariff or energy supplier if I have a smart meter?

Yes. People with a smart meter can switch energy supplier and tariff in exactly the same way that anyone with a traditional meter can. Find out more about switching supplier with a smart meter here.

Can I get a smart meter for free?

There is no additional cost for installation of your smart meter. At the point of installation you may be offered an in-home display that shows your spending in near-real time for no additional cost. You won’t have an extra charge on your bill because you choose to have a smart meter. The costs will be spread across everyone’s bills, just like the cost of running and maintaining today’s traditional meters are.

All FAQs