Energy companies are restarting the drive to replace Britain’s old electricity and gas meters after the lockdown rules have been eased.
Homeowners and business have been receiving messages from suppliers saying they can safely resume the upgrade of their old meters to the new that can send readings automatically to suppliers.
Scottish Power issued a text to one customer saying, “We can now install smart meters again. Please be assured we’ll take all necessary steps to keep you and our engineers safe”.
Suppliers are obliged to replace Britain’s 48.7m domestic analogue meters by the end of 2024. The deadline was extended in September after it became clear that the original target at the end of the year would not be met.
Progress has been slow, with just 19.2m smart meters installed since 2012, according to official figures published at the end of May. However, 3.7m of these are operating in what is called ‘dumb’ mode.
This is because different suppliers have installed different versions of the devices. It means that customers who switch away from the supplier that upgraded the meter will no longer be able to use its smart functions, such as being able to tell customers exactly how much energy is being used and what is costing them as they use it.
Smart meter installation has been beset with delays and cost overruns, which are ultimately passed on to customer bills. The total cost of the programme is estimated to be £13.4bn. Sources in the industry have criticised the government for not establishing standard rules about the devices before the rollout.
Savings are expected because people will be encouraged to use less energy. This is estimated to be about £36 per household a year by 2034, after taking into account the cost of the scheme.
There are broadly two types of smart meter: an old version called Smets 1 which cannot communicate between different suppliers and the newer Smets 2 device, which can. You can find out which type you have by looking at the serial number of your device. If the number begins with 19P, it is a Smets 1. If it begins with 19M, it is a Smets 2.
There is no obligation to have a meter installed if you do not want one, but suppliers can be find if they do not meet the end of 2024 deadline. You can ask your supplier which version of the device it wants to install and wait until it gets the newer version.