Policy & Research

Smart meters

What is a smart meter?

Smart meters are the next generation of gas and electricity meters with a range of additional functions.

Unlike standard meters which have to be read manually by a meter person, smart meters can be read without the energy company visiting your home thanks to new communications technology. This should end estimate and inaccurate bills, which are a major source of consumer complaints.

With standard meters, the amount of gas and electricity your household uses is shown in kilowatt hours or gas units on the meter itself. When your smart meter is installed, you should be offered a separate energy display which you can put in a convenient place. This is a small screen which will give you up to date information on your gas and electricity use, including how much you are using and how much it is costing you in pounds and pence.  This should help you keep track of your energy use.

Smart meters will enable suppliers to disconnect and reconnect your energy supply without visiting your home.  If you have a smart meter the energy company will also be able to control precisely how much electricity you have access to at any one time. We have successfully pressed for protections to help prevent suppliers from misusing this new function.  

All new meters will be installed with prepay as a standard function. In the future, this should allow customers to switch between pay as you go, Direct Debit and other payment options easily and quickly, without the need for a separate meter. 

Current meters record how much energy you have used in total. Smart meters will be able to monitor not just how much energy your household has used in total but also break down when you used it and in some cases, what you used it on eg your fridge, oven, hairdryer etc.  This is similar to when you use the phone, and your telephone company knows not only how many minutes you were on the phone for, but also when you made the calls, and which numbers and networks you phoned.

The above functions are likely to be common to all smart meters, but the precise functions of your smart meter will depend on when you get your meter, and your energy supplier. Your energy company should provide more information.