A Guide to Smart Meters

What are the benefits of having a new smart meter?

There are both pros and cons of a smart meter, but let’s start with the pros. There are a whole host of benefits to having a new smart meter for your energy readings, including:

• Knowing how much energy you’re using and how much it costs - reading your smart meter in-home display will show your energy use in pounds and pence, as well as units of energy.
• You can take immediate steps to reduce your consumption and bills - it’s easy to tell if something in your home is using a lot of energy, which means you can work out how to reduce your emissions and be greener.
• There’ll be no estimated bills or meter readings - you’ll only pay for what you use, and you won’t have to take meter readings anymore. 
• Prepayment customers will get additional benefits - your balance will be displayed on your in-home display and you can top-up online. There’s also the potential for auto top-up, so you won’t have to worry about running out of credit.

What are the disadvantages of not having a smart meter? 

Choosing not to have a smart meter installed in your home means you’ll miss out on all the advantages they offer. You could find it harder to monitor and reduce your energy use and spending, and you’ll have to continue sending meter readings to your energy supplier. 

How much money will I save with a smart meter?

The smart meter itself won’t save you money – the amount you save will depend on how you use your smart meter and how much it changes your daily behaviour. 
 
Your in-home display will show you the cost of different activities, like boiling the kettle or running the dishwasher. Once you begin to understand how much your consumption costs you, you’re likely to change your behaviour to save money, like only boiling the amount of water you need or using an eco-setting on your dishwasher. Little changes like these will help to save you money. 

Find out how much you could save – use our energy comparison tool.

How do I get a smart meter?

Getting a smart meter is simple – at some point, you’ll be contacted by your electricity or gas supplier and they’ll offer you a meter. Just book an installation appointment with them and you’re ready to go. If you’re eager to get one as soon as possible, then most suppliers will let you request a smart meter, too. 
 
If your supplier has already contacted you but you didn’t opt for the meter at the time, you can generally book an appointment through their website. 
 
There may be rare cases when it’s not possible to get a smart meter just yet –for example, if the communication signal in your area is weak or if your meter type isn’t supported yet. But energy suppliers are committed to offering every household a smart meter by 2024. 

Are smart meters good for the environment?

Smart meters can help us understand and reduce our energy consumption, which is good for the environment. 
 
If less energy is needed, less will need to be generated, which means that we’ll be able to get a higher proportion of our energy from renewable sources like solar and wind, with less reliance on non-renewable sources. And since energy providers will have a more accurate picture of how much energy is needed, less energy will be wasted at the production stage. 
 
The government has predicted that smart meters could reduce carbon emissions by nearly 45 million tonnes over the space of 20 years, which is the equivalent of taking 26 million cars off the road for a year. 
 
If the whole nation got a smart meter, we could save enough energy to power every household in Aberdeen, Cardiff and Manchester for a year. 

Energy wasting habits that cause the biggest arguments at home

Whether it’s leaving lights on at night or having the heating on during the warmer months, it’s common for us to argue about energy use in the home. Our research reveals that 40% of the UK has had at least one disagreement over it in the past year. 
 
Click on the heat spots below to see which energy wasting habits cause the most arguments in the home

The top five reasons for household energy dramas are:

1. Having the heating on when it’s not essential (14%) 
2. Leaving lights on at night (12%) 
3. Having the heating on with windows or doors open (12%) 
4. Leaving plug sockets switched on when not being used (11%) 
5. Leaving lights on all day (9%) 
6. 14% of the UK have argued over having the heating on when it’s not essential, and it’s 16-24-year olds who are the biggest culprits in this energy crime. Almost a quarter of the same age group have been involved in an argument about leaving lights on at night, while 30% admit to being guilty of this themselves. 

The research shows Gen Z to be the most wasteful age group when it comes to energy use: 80% admit they’re guilty of at least one of these energy wasting habits and 63% have been involved in an argument about wasting energy in the last year. 

Are customers protected during the changeover to smart meters?

The government is guaranteeing certain safeguards during the changeover to smart meters:

• Installers must provide energy-efficiency information as part of their visit. That shouldn’t include talking about their products unless they get your permission first 
• There will be no sales during the engineer’s visit to change your meter 
• Your data will not be shared with third parties, unless you give consent. If you do choose to share with comparison sites, such as ours, we can let you know if you could save by switching suppliers. 

Read our guide to switching energy suppliers

What happens to the data collected by smart meters?

One of the most useful benefits of having a smart meter is that you won’t have to give manual meter readings to your energy provider. The data captured by the smart meter is automatically recorded and sent to your supplier so that they can accurately bill you for the gas and electricity you use. 
 
The data can also be used for the in-home display, or mobile app or dashboard provided by your supplier, so you’ll be able to see how much energy you’re using in real time.