A smart meter is a digital energy meter which records how much gas and/or electricity your home uses. It then shares these readings automatically with your energy supplier, allowing them to bill you based on the energy you actually use, rather than estimates. This helps your supplier bill you based on actual energy use rather than estimates.

The meter records your gas and/or electricity usage. Many smart meter customers are also given an in-home display, a separate device that can help you see your energy use in near real time (where provided and working). Gaining a deeper understanding of your energy use can help you to identify what patterns might be there. It might be easier to understand when you use the most energy during the day, and which of your habits spike your usage the most.

More accurate usage information also supports the development of a more modern energy system. It can help suppliers manage demand, enable more flexible energy services and give households a clearer view of how they fit into a changing energy network.

Smart meters measure your energy use, send automatic meter readings to your energy supplier, and offer you clearer visibility of your own energy use by way of the in-home display. They do not alter the gas or electricity that's coming into your home, but they change how your usage is measured and shared.

A traditional meter stores a running total that usually needs to be read manually. A smart meter records this information digitally and sends meter readings to your supplier automatically. This reduces the need for manual readings and can help make bills more accurate. With a smart meter, you'll also likely have broader access to various flexible energy schemes and tariffs, allowing you to make the most of your energy use.

The process usually works like this:

1. Your electricity or gas usage is measured by the smart meter.

2. The reading is stored securely by the meter.

3. The reading is sent automatically to your energy supplier.

4. Your in-home display shows your recent usage so you can better understand your energy habits.

You won’t have to take any meter readings manually - your smart meter will send automatic readings to your energy supplier via the secure smart data network which is solely for smart meters. This works in a similar way as other wireless systems but does not use the internet.

Once installed and working in smart mode, you shouldn’t need to submit regular meter readings. You can still check the meter yourself, but readings are normally sent automatically via the secure smart data network used for smart meters.

Smart meters can be especially useful for households that want clearer information about energy use. For example, you may be able to see how energy usage changes when heating, cooking, washing or charging devices at different times of day.

Smart meters don’t use your home internet to send readings. Instead, smart meters communicate through a secure national network built specifically for smart meters.

Inside the home, the electricity meter, gas meter and in-home display form a small connected system. This allows readings and usage information to move between the devices. Outside the home, the smart meter network allows readings to be sent to your supplier.

This is what people often mean by smart meter communications: the way smart meters, in-home displays, energy suppliers and the national smart meter network exchange the information needed for billing and meter operation.

A gas smart meter measures the amount of gas your home uses and records it digitally. It usually sends readings via the electricity smart meter in your home, rather than directly to the national smart meter network.

Because the gas meter typically links to the electricity meter, installers may check the position of both meters during your appointment. The two devices need to be able to communicate with each other, so location and property layout can matter.

This setup is one reason dual-fuel households usually need both a gas smart meter and an electricity smart meter. The two meters measure different types of energy, but they are designed to work together as part of one household smart meter system.

Most dual-fuel homes need one smart meter for gas and one smart meter for electricity. Gas and electricity are measured in different ways, so each fuel usually needs its own meter.

If you’re a dual-fuel customer, your supplier will usually replace both meters in one visit and you’ll use one in-home display to view both gas and electricity usage. If your gas and electricity accounts are with different suppliers, each supplier is responsible for its own meter, so you may need two separate installations.

Where you have different suppliers for gas and electricity, it can help to have the electricity smart meter installed first. You can find more information about smart meters and the installation process on our installation process page.

This order can matter because the electricity smart meter often plays an important role in the wider smart meter setup. If your gas and electricity are supplied by different companies, each supplier is responsible for its own meter, and you may need separate appointments.

You do not need home Wi-Fi, broadband, a router or an internet package for a smart meter to send readings. Your smart meter and in-home display communicate via a secure national network used specifically for smart meters.

This question comes up because many people associate the word “smart” with internet-connected devices such as smartphones, smart TVs or smart speakers. Smart meters are different: they use dedicated smart meter communications technology designed for energy data, rather than your home broadband.

A smart meter does not use your Wi-Fi, connect to your router or affect your broadband speed. If your home internet stops working, that does not automatically mean your smart meter will stop recording energy usage.

In practical terms, the only thing your supplier needs to confirm is that your property can connect to the smart meter network, so readings can be sent reliably.

Learn more about smart meters and Wi-Fi.

If you live in an area with poor mobile telephone reception you can either request a first generation meter that uses this network, but may experience difficulties sending readings to your supplier automatically.

Alternatively, you can contact your energy supplier and insist that they install a second generation meter, known as SMETS2.

A SMETS2 meter is not reliant upon the mobile phone network and by the end of the smart meter rollout this network will have coverage of 99.25% of Great Britain.

Yes, you can get a smart meter if you have solar panels. Interest in smart meters and solar panels is growing as more households generate some of their own electricity. In most cases, having solar panels does not stop you from getting a smart meter.

Your bills will still reflect the energy you import from the grid, and your supplier can explain how any exported electricity is recorded on your account. Your in-home display will usually show the energy you’re buying from your supplier (rather than everything you generate).

A smart meter can measure the electricity your home imports from the grid, and some smart meters can support export readings where unused electricity is sent back to the grid.

This is important because homes with solar panels do not always use energy in the same way as homes without them. At some times, your home may use electricity from the grid. At other times, it may use electricity generated by your solar panels. If your panels generate more than you use, the extra electricity may be exported.

Smart meters can help suppliers understand this import and export activity more accurately, depending on your meter type, supplier, tariff and export arrangement.

Learn more about smart meters and solar panels.

A smart meter sends meter readings and technical information needed for billing, meter operation and smart services. It does not record conversations, browsing history, personal activities or details about individual appliances.

Depending on your preferences and supplier arrangements, readings may be sent monthly, daily or half-hourly.

More frequent smart meter communications can help provide more detailed information about usage, but customers can ask their supplier about the data-sharing choices available to them.

Smart meters are designed to meet national technical and security standards. The smart meter system uses controlled access and secure data processes to help protect customer information.

Security is a key part of smart meter communications, because smart meters are part of national energy infrastructure. The system has been designed for energy data rather than general household internet use.

Before your smart meter installation, it can help to ask your supplier a few practical questions:

• Will both gas and electricity meters be replaced during the appointment?

• Will I receive an in-home display?

• What happens if the meter cannot send readings straight away?

• How often will my readings be sent?

• Who should I contact if I have a problem after installation?

• If I have solar panels, will the meter support my import and export arrangements?