SMART METER REVIEWS - WHY DO PEOPLE LOVE THEIR SMART METER?
Most people with a smart meter in Great Britain would recommend getting one, according to our research.
How do people use their smart meters?
More than 15 million smart meters are operating across Great Britain – and we spoke to people with one in their home to find out how they're benefiting from it. Here are some of the highlights:
- 80% say they have a better idea of what they're spending on energy.
- 68% say they're more conscious about energy use.
- 49% say it's helping them save money.
- 47% say they're less worried about their bills.
As well as this survey, over the past few years we have interviewed people in their homes to find out why they had a smart meter installed, and how they're getting on with it. Below are three of our favourites.
Case study – Troy, Llanelli
"At the moment, we are in the habit of setting ourselves a daily limit and our smart meter warns us when we are close to reaching it.
"It’s working really well as a guide for us, and it helps us balance out the energy we use across a week, if we need to use more on certain days.”
With a smart meter, you can more simply understand how much it costs to use energy around your home. Armed with this knowledge, it's easier to make small and sustainable changes – such as reducing your shower time – to cut down on your energy use and save some money.
- Want to save but not sure where to start? Check out our energy saving tips.
Case study – My-Yen, Cardiff
My-Yen explains how a smart meter can help us save energy at home, but also how just having one installed helps reduce our nation's carbon footprint.
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My name is My-Yen Butler I live in Cardiff currently with my husband and my small child. One of my favourite features of the in-home display on the smart meter is knowing exactly how much energy and money we’re using, because it’s so exact. So, for example, the kettle could be on for a few seconds and I can see exactly how much energy consumption it’s used.
For us it was a logical next step to get a smart meter because it ensured that we could bring our energy use down and help tackle climate change. It’s definitely had a positive effect because I know what I need to do in terms of saving energy in our household, and also saving money, and just knowing that there are things on in the house that don’t need to be.
I think that if more people in Great Britain were to get a smart meter it would definitely help to tackle climate change because it just gives a better insight into what energy you are using and how you can bring energy use down when you don’t actually need to use it.
It’s really important for me and my family to make these changes now. By having a smart meter I feel like it’s just a small step that we’ve made to help future generations to come, in particular, my son’s generation.
"I think that, if more people in Great Britain were to get a smart meter, it would definitely help to tackle climate change, because it just gives a better insight into what energy you are using and how you can bring energy use down when you don't actually need to use it.
"It's really important for me and my family to make these changes now. By having a smart meter I feel like it's just a small step that we've made to help future generations to come, in particular, my son's generation."
- Find out how smart meters upgrade our energy system, helping us to reduce waste and transition to a lower carbon future with more local and renewable energy sources.
Case study – Marilyn, Ipswich
Marilyn and her husband look after a loved one with dementia, and manage all her bills. Here's how a smart meter has helped them.
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My name is Marilyn and I live in Ipswich, in a 4 bedroom detached house with my husband. We’ve lived here about eleven years now.
My husband’s cousin Mary has dementia, she lives very successfully in her own home. She looks after herself and copes quite well. But she struggles with her finances. So about a year ago we took that on and now manage all her bills. We decided that by getting her a smart meter fitted, we would cut down one job. That doesn’t take a huge amount of our time but is another thing to do. Since we got her a smart meter we no longer have to submit meter readings. And no one has to go round to the house to read her meters.
It was so easy to get Mary’s smart meter fitted. It took about 2 hours. It was all setup and ready to go immediately, she didn’t need to have WIFI in the house. And now she doesn’t need to do anything with it at all. I think the main benefit for Mary has been that she doesn’t any longer get estimated bills. We always know how much she is due to pay and it’s all very clear.
We also have another friend who we help out in a similar way. If she had a smart meter it would make our lives so much easier. I would definitely recommend smart meters for elderly people, who may find it difficult to access their meters to read them. And I would recommend for people who are caring for older people, because it’s one less job for them to have to do.
"Since we got her a smart meter we no longer have to submit meter readings, and no one has to go round to the house to read her meters...
"I think the main benefit for Mary has been that she doesn't any longer get estimated bills. We always know how much she is due to pay and it's all very clear...
"I would definitely recommend smart meters for elderly people who may find it difficult to access their meter to read them. And I would recommend for people who are caring for older people, because it's one less job for them to have to do."
Research by the UCL Energy Institute, Mersey Care NHS Trust and Liverpool John Moore's University has pointed to more ways that smart meters could help the elderly and vulnerable, including helping people with dementia to stay in their own homes.
- Find out more: How smart meters could transform health and social care.
Those with smart meters feel they have more control over the energy they use in their home, allowing them to save both money and energy. So it's unsurprising that most with a smart meter would recommend it to others.
You may also be interested in...
- How to get a smart meter – the three main steps to get a smart meter.
- Mythbusting smart meter problems – we set the record straight about some of the key smart meter concerns.
- Take the #EnergyFreeHour challenge – could you go a whole hour without using any energy in your home?