HOW DO I KNOW IF I ALREADY HAVE A SMART METER?
You may already have a gadget at home that helps control your energy use. The easiest way to tell if it’s a smart meter is if you no longer have to give meter readings, or get estimated bills. The table below shows the two main types of devices out there that can sometimes be confused with a smart meter - smart thermostats and energy monitors.
SMART THERMOSTATS
Smart thermostats, such as Hive and Nest, connect to your wifi so you can control your heating and hot water through your smart phone, tablet and desktop.
These can be expensive and have an added installation cost.
Having one means you are only tracking your heating so you can't keep an eye on your electricity and gas usage.
ENERGY MONITORS
These include brands such as Smappee and Owl, which allow you to see your electricity use in near real time so you can keep track of what appliances affect your electricity consumption and impact your bill.
However, they don't automatically send your data to your supplier so you still have to manually take meter readings.
