Whether you have one or not, you’ve likely heard about smart meters in recent years. Their presence is inescapable and won’t be phasing out any time soon thanks to a government-led initiative being rolled out which is offering smart meters to all UK homes by 2024.
Throughout this article, we’ll explore more about what a smart meter is, the benefits of having one, and if it is a mandatory requirement to have one in your home.
What are smart meters?
A smart meter is an electronic device that replicates a home’s gas and electricity meter box. The device itself is an easy-to-use small display screen that allows you to easily read your gas/electric readings.
It works by taking automatic readings of your gas and electricity usage which are then sent to your energy supplier via a remote connection whilst also displaying your home’s energy consumption via the display screen to you. No more do you need to be trekking outside in your dressing gown and slippers in the cold with your key in hand or have to feel like you’re trying to land a plane with the systematic display controls to take a reading.
A smart meter eliminates all of that hassle whilst also bringing energy reading methods into the modern age of digitalization. We all love a good touchscreen device.
Types of smart meters
There are two types of smart meters currently being rolled out, 1st generation and 2nd generation (abbreviated respectively to SMETS1 and SMETS2).
SMETS1 smart meters are, as the name implies, the first generation of meters to be distributed to homes. They use a 3G connection to feed readings data to your energy supplier. This does present an issue of the meter itself becoming incoherent if switching energy suppliers. However, these first-gen meters are being gradually replaced with second-gen meters.
SMETS2 smart meters are the successor to the SMETS1 smart meter. These are the types of smart meters more commonly being rolled out amongst UK homes. These don’t rely on 3G technology and instead work by having all of the data collected sent to a central network that can be accessed by your energy supplier, meaning they won’t become incoherent if you switch suppliers.
Are smart meters compulsory?
The initiative to roll out smart meters to homes was introduced in 2012, with the target goal in place of offering every UK home a smart meter by 2020. However, this timeframe was reevaluated and pushed back to a more reachable deadline of 2024-2025.
With this being said, it is not actually mandatory to have a smart meter. Your service provider must offer you one, but you do not have to accept. It’s important to do some research beforehand and weigh out the pros and cons of smart meters to help you decide if you wish to have one. We would also advise discussing the processes and steps required with your service provider to ultimately help you make your decision.
So, if you have not yet been approached by your service provider about a smart meter, you will be offered the option to have one installed at some point. Likewise, you can check to see if you are eligible for one by contacting your service provider. And when you are contacted about a smart meter, you are not obliged to have one if it is not something you want.
How much will it cost?
There is actually no upfront cost for getting a smart meter installed in your home. However, you will want to enquire further with your service provider as sometimes, the cost to cover the rollout may be included within your gas/electricity payments.
What is the benefit of a smart meter?
As is the case with anything, technology especially, there will also be plenty of pros accompanied by some cons. Smart meters themselves are plenty beneficial for you, your energy supplier, and the environment.
Provides more accuracy on bills
You won’t be billed for an estimation of the energy you use within your household but instead only for the absolute, accurate amount of energy consumed.
Reduces energy consumption
Because you get an immediate view of your home’s energy consumption as and when energy is being used thanks to real-time data, you’ll be able to better manage what you use and how much, which can ultimately reduce the amount of energy (and money) you consume. Smart decisions, smart savings.
Modernizes our energy systems
A network of smart meters will help contribute to the country’s efforts to make a more sustainable, smart energy grid. Your one small smart meter will be part of millions of others that are now installed amongst UK homes and businesses, meaning you’d be helping to positively reduce our global carbon footprint.
Provides insights for energy providers
As energy suppliers can track and analyze the data they receive from the recordings to understand more about our collective energy consumption, they will be able to make smarter and more efficient decisions with energy production.
Make use of time-of-use tariffs
With a smart meter, you can make use of exclusive tariffs offered by some energy suppliers. These are ‘time-of use’ tariffs that provide cheaper prices to smart meter owners. You’ll need to inquire about this with your energy provider, as not all offer them and the tariff will be different per supplier.
Are there any negatives?
Subject to signal issues
Because smart meters solely rely on transmitting data across a mobile network, any disruption to the signal would result in the readings sent to your service provider being inaccurate and estimated once again, potentially increasing your energy bill.
Cannot revert back to an old system
Once a smart meter has been installed, you cannot revert back to an old system, meaning that you’ll need to be certain that going down the smart meter route is correct for you.
Could lead to family friction
If you know what energy is being used and when, it could potentially lead to some finger-pointing and squabbles in family households as to who uses the kettle too much or who leaves the lights on.
How are smart meters installed?
Before the installation, your service provider will talk you through what to expect on the day of and any things you may need to action beforehand. This will usually only involve making sure the space where your old meter box is can be accessed easily, whether that is outside or inside (so if yours is in a cupboard, you’ll need to clear out anything that may obscure the engineer’s path).
Once an appointment has been made and agreed on by you and your service provider, an engineer will be sent out to your home to complete the installation.
They will do a visual inspection of your boiler and any appliances in your household that uses gas and will take a final reading from your old meter system.
During the installation, your home’s electricity and gas will need to be turned off, which should only be for half an hour or so. Your engineer will keep you informed throughout the process so you’re not unexpectedly left in the dark.
Once the meter has been installed, your engineer will do some more routine checks to make sure everything is working properly. Then you will be offered the display device that allows you to easily view your gas and electricity consumption there and then. Your engineer will guide you on how to use the electronic device so you can easily read the data.
Finally, after your smart meter has been installed, your household energy readings will be automatically sent to your provider on a regular basis, which you can change to monthly, weekly, daily, and so on, depending on your preference.
All engineers completing the installation must comply with the Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice.
Commonly asked questions:
How accurate is a smart meter?
A smart meter displays accurate data of your energy consumption and can actually be more accurate than a traditional electrical meter. All smart meters will be tested by the Office of Product Safety and Standards organisation before they are deployed to ensure they meet the UK and EU requirements. So once they have been checked by these standards, they are certified safe to use and accurate.
What happens to the data collected?
As mentioned earlier, your energy reading data is collected and sent to your service provider. It’s understandable that this may raise some panic alarms but there is no need to worry as your data should be protected as part of the code of conduct with your individual service provider and will not be shared with third parties unless you consent to this. If you are concerned about how your data is collected and used, enquire with your service provider to learn more.
What if you already have one?
If you already have a smart meter installed in your home, you may actually need to enquire about getting an upgrade. As mentioned earlier when covering the types of smart meters, the first-gen models run on older technology that makes transferring service providers slightly challenging.
The government planned to have all gen-1 smart meters replaced by the end of 2022 so if you are not sure whether or not you still have a SMETS1 smart meter, get in contact with your service provider to inquire further.
What if you switch suppliers?
You can still switch service suppliers once you’ve had a smart meter installed and in fact, once you get the newest generation of smart meters, swapping providers will be actually quite a straightforward process.
So, that covers what you need to know about smart meters. They bring an outdated bit of kit into the modern age and help both you and your energy provider to make smarter decisions with energy consumption, to ultimately improve our carbon output.
If you don’t currently have a smart meter, it’s definitely worth looking into and if you do have one, it’s worth you looking into if your current one needs an upgrade.
