The truth behind smart meter myths
Smart meters are designed to give both you and your energy provider accurate and regular updates on how much energy you’re using. But there are many common concerns about how they work.
These include privacy concerns as well as worries about whether you have to accept one from your energy provider in the first place.
Even with the government's large-scale energy bill support, prices are still rising to new highs this winter, so it’s never been more important to know your use and take steps to reduce it if you can.
Smart meters can help you do that, as they automatically send readings to your energy provider and give you information on how much energy things in your home use. It's also been suggested that households with smart meters will soon be offered tariffs with cheaper electricity at low-use times of day.
A government report in August 2022 found that 27.76 million smart meters are now in operation in Great Britain, more than half of all energy meters (52.96 million).
As they become more commonplace, we've looked at concerns expressed by Which? members to give the low-down on exactly what smart meters are, how they work and how safe they are, and help debunk some of their common mythology.
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How smart meters work
Smart meters use their own wireless network - similar to the mobile phone network - to send data directly to your energy company about how much gas and electricity you're using.
Smart meters measure how much gas and electricity you use and wirelessly send this information to your provider and, if you have one, your in-home display (IHD). This means you don't have to manually check your meter and send readings to your provider.
The IHD that comes with your smart meter shows how much energy you're using at any one time, and how much it will cost you in pounds and pence.
The display is not the meter itself. For the meters themselves you'll still have one for gas and one for electricity, and they'll be installed where your current energy meters are - where your energy enters your home. They still have their own reading displays that can be read in the same way as traditional meters and you can still manually send these to your provider should you want or need to.
You get to choose how frequently your smart meter sends data to your provider. It can be every half an hour, once a day or once a month. For the most up-to-date readings, you should set your smart meter to send readings every half an hour - this is particularly important if you have a time-of-use tariff, including those that allow cheaper overnight electric vehicle charging.
We occasionally hear of smart meters failing to send readings, so keep an eye on your energy account and statements, which will state when readings have been received, to make sure they're getting through. Tell your supplier straight away if you suspect it’s not receiving your readings or that they are wrong, so you’re billed accurately.
- Find out more: how smart meters work
Do smart meters take your personal data?
We’ve heard concerns from readers about what impact having a smart meter could have on their data privacy, particularly through its connection to wi-fi.
Smart meters don’t store or transmit personal information that could identify you. They don't have your name, address or bank details. Your energy supplier has this information on your account instead. You don’t need to have wi-fi or a broadband connection in your home to have a smart meter, as they communicate using a secure national wireless network that is only used by them.
The information smart meters have on your energy use is your data, so you can choose what you want to do with it – and change your mind about how much you share and how often. The only exception is when your data is required to be used by your provider for a regulated purpose.
The most common of these regulated reasons for your provider to use your data is billing, but others include responding to a query from you, registering a prepayment meter top-up or investigating a theft.
First-generation smart meters (called SMETS1) use a Sim card to communicate via mobile networks. This makes them less secure than the second-generation models (SMETS2), which use a separate network to send energy use readings to your supplier. The data that SMETS2 smart meters transfer to energy firms - just your electricity and gas use - is secure and encrypted.
Is it true that you can't switch energy supplier with a smart meter?
It’s a fairly common misconception that once you have a smart meter installed with one energy supplier you can’t switch to another one. But this is not true.
However, the first generation of smart meters that were installed do have an issue that means when customers switch provider, the new supplier can't always read the smart meter's data automatically. Customers this affects have to manually take meter readings and send them to their suppliers for the time being.
Government data published in August 2022 shows that at that time 3.77 million out of the 27.76 million smart meters in operation in Great Britain were being used in this 'traditional' mode.
We’ve heard from lots of Which? members who have experienced this problem, including those who were automatically switched to another energy provider when theirs went bust. The issue happens with SMETS1 meters, while second-generation (SMETS2) smart meters shouldn’t lose their smart functions when you switch supplier. That's because they’re connected to a central wireless network.
- Find out more: Smart meter problems and how to solve them
Are smart meters more expensive than traditional energy meters?
Smart meters are expected to reduce energy bills in the long run as energy suppliers receive fewer customer enquiries and make fewer home visits. In principle, these operational cost savings should pass on to customers.
In a more direct sense, you can save on your own energy bill by using the information your smart meter display tells you about your energy use to help you figure out how you can reduce your consumption.
Of course, your energy payments won’t reduce unless you act on the information provided. With energy costing more per kWh than ever, these savings could be worth investigating.
Smart meters also make it possible to benefit from time of use tariffs that mean you pay cheaper rates for electricity used when demand is low. This includes those specifically for electric car owners. Without a smart meter, you can't access these tariffs as your energy company wouldn't be able to tell what time of day you have used your energy.
You do not need to pay anything upfront to have a smart meter installed. But energy suppliers shouldn't tell you that smart meters are ‘free’, because ultimately you have paid for them indirectly through your energy bills. This is how traditional gas and electricity meters are paid for too.
We've heard from several Which? members who had concerns about the electricity costs associated with using their smart meter’s in-home display (IHD), saying that it felt silly to 'use energy to save energy'. Smart Energy GB, the company behind the smart meter rollout, told us that even if they are plugged in all day every day, the electricity cost of using an IHD is around £1 a year.
- Find out more: 10 ways to reduce your energy bills
Is it disruptive to get a smart meter installed?
Before your smart meter is installed, your energy firm should tell you what to expect, how long the fitting will take and if there's anything you need to do beforehand, such as clearing out the cupboard where your meter is. You should also warn them at this stage if your meter is in a hard-to-access place, such as high up on a wall.
The installation will be done by a trained installer from your energy supplier or a company working for it. You have to be at home during the appointment.
During the installation, your electricity and gas will need to be switched off for around half an hour. If the engineer comes across potential problems unrelated to your smart meter, such as defective wiring, very old equipment, broken fuses or faulty boilers, their priority is to make these safe.
Sometimes problems with your set-up may mean it’s not appropriate to install a smart meter. If this does happen, the installer will explain why and tell you what work needs to be done by you, your energy supplier or network operator.
After the fitting, the engineer will check your gas supply by turning your gas back on and relighting the pilot light in your boiler. They will also do a test with a plug socket to check that things are working as they should.
If you have any mains-connected alarms, check they're working correctly while the engineer is still there.
The installer should show you how to use your in-home display (IHD). You may also be able to see your energy use via your online account with your energy company or on an app.
- Find out more: what to expect when getting a smart meter installed
Can your energy company force you to get a smart meter?
Your energy company can encourage you to get a smart meter fitted into your home, but ultimately you don't have to get one. You have the right to refuse installation of a smart meter. If you've turned one down, you can always change your mind about getting one at a later date, at no additional cost to you.
The exception to this is if your meter needs replacing or you’re installing an energy meter for the first time, such as in a newly built home. In these situations, you may find that your provider will not fit a non-smart meter.
In this scenario, you can ask your supplier to have a smart meter that has its communication switched off, so that you use it in the same way as a traditional meter.
Are smart meters bad for your health?
Some of our readers have shared concerns about the impact of smart meters on their health.
The evidence suggests that exposure to radio waves produced by smart meters does not pose a risk to health and that smart meters expose people to fewer radio waves than mobile phones and wi-fi equipment such as broadband routers.
What should you do if your smart meter display stops working?
The display works best when close to the smart meter. If your meters are inaccessible or outside, it could be that they are too far away to communicate with your IHD. Ask your energy supplier for advice on what to do.
If you have had your IHD for less than 12 months and it has broken, your supplier may be able to replace it for you. You may need to pay if you’ve damaged it.
Remember that the IHD is not the meter itself. So even if you have a problem with it, it doesn't necessarily mean the meter is broken. If your smart meter is showing an error message, or you suspect that your bills are wrong, contact your energy supplier. It is responsible for making sure your meter works properly, but if it can't resolve the issue remotely, it should send someone round to inspect it for you.
If you've just switched provider, it could be that your smart meter isn't connecting to your new provider, so the IHD isn't showing cost information as it should. You'll need to let your new provider know as soon as possible if you think there's a problem with your smart meter to avoid any inaccurate billing.
Can you get a smart meter if you’re renting?
Yes, you can. If you're a tenant and you are responsible for paying energy bills for the property then you have the right to request one. The energy watchdog Ofgem has said your landlord or letting agency shouldn’t unreasonably prevent you from getting a smart meter. But if your energy company contacts you to install one, it's worth letting your landlord or letting agency know in advance to make sure they give the go-ahead.
If a landlord is paying for the energy use of their tenants, however, they would be responsible for installing a smart meter and coordinating with the energy provider.
Find out more: what help is available if you’re struggling to keep up with your energy payments
