Energy Experts

What is a smart meter UK?

Business Energy Suppliers are currently in the process of installing smart meters in homes across England, Scotland, and Wales. This initiative offers every household the opportunity to transition to a smart meter before the rollout concludes.

A smart meter represents the evolution of gas and electricity meters, aiming to replace the conventional ones, including prepay key meters, which are commonly found concealed under staircases or situated outdoors in residences throughout Great Britain.

Functioning as advanced monitoring devices, smart meters not only track your gas and electricity consumption but also provide real-time information on the associated costs through a user-friendly in-home display.

How do they work?

With a smart meter, your estimated bills problem will be cured. This device presents your energy usage digitally and utilizes a secure smart data network managed by the DCC to transmit your readings wirelessly to your business energy provider, ensuring that your bills are accurate, not approximate.

Furthermore, smart meters are equipped with an in-home display screen that offers you a real-time breakdown of exactly how much energy you're consuming, right down to the last penny. This means you can keep a close eye on your usage habits and make informed decisions about your Average Energy Consumption.

What does a smart meter look like?

A smart meter consists of two main components and will be set up by your business energy suppliers. Your old-fashioned gas and electric meters will be swapped out with smart meters that automatically send your meter readings to your business energy providers.

Additionally, you'll get an in-home display that reveals your energy usage in pounds and pence, allowing you to track your consumption more effectively.

Why should I get a smart meter?

Smart meters are helpful devices for managing energy costs. Equipped with an in-home display, they reveal your energy usage almost instantly, showing you exactly how much you're spending in pounds and pence. This visibility might inspire you to cut back on business energy consumption.

Moreover, by having smart meters, you're contributing to a greener future for the nation. Once installed, these meters start working towards reducing our carbon emissions collectively. They serve as the cornerstone of a smarter energy system, enabling better integration of renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydropower. This shift away from fossil fuels helps in decarbonizing our energy setup, significantly lessening our nation's carbon footprint overall.

When I switch business energy supplier, do I need a new smart meter?

You won't have to get a new smart meter every time you change your energy supplier. If you have an SMETS2 meter, transitioning to a new provider won't cause any interruptions in your energy readings, billing process, or gas and electricity services.

In the case of an SMETS1 meter, there may be a need to manually submit your meter readings to ensure precise billing after switching, much like you would with conventional meters. However, it's essential to note that this requirement is temporary and won't impede your ability to switch your energy supplier. Therefore, you can confidently explore different options for your gas or electricity provider without any concerns.

Can I get a smart meter for free?

You won't incur any additional charges for having an in-home display with your smart meter. Opting for a smart meter won't result in extra costs on your bill either. Instead, the expenses associated with these meters are distributed across all users, much like how we collectively cover the operational and maintenance costs of traditional meters. With the in-home display, you gain access to valuable information, including:

Detailed insights into your energy consumption over various timeframes, such as the past hour, week, and month, accompanied by a breakdown of associated costs.
Convenient indicators that allow you to quickly assess whether your electricity usage is categorized as high, medium, or low.
Regular updates on your electricity usage, provided in nearly real-time, and gas usage, updated every half hour.

Is my data safe?

The data collected by your smart meter regarding your energy usage is protected by stringent legal measures. You have full control over this data, empowering you to make critical decisions. You can determine how frequently your smart meter communicates with your energy provider, with options ranging from monthly updates as the minimum requirement to more frequent updates such as daily or half-hourly transmissions.

Moreover, you have the authority to choose whether to share this data with other entities, such as price comparison websites. Additionally, you retain the right to decide if your energy supplier can utilize your meter readings for sales and marketing purposes.

Smart meters have been meticulously designed in collaboration with top security experts in the UK. They are engineered to solely measure the amount of energy you consume, ensuring that your privacy and security are upheld.

Furthermore, it's important to note that your smart meter does not store or transmit any personal details, such as your name, address, or bank account information. This security framework ensures that your sensitive information remains safeguarded at all times.

If you have a prepay meter

Smart meters are crafted to serve the needs of both prepay and credit customers, ensuring that prepay services remain affordable. Prepay customers can take advantage of time-of-use tariffs, offering potential savings by adjusting energy usage during peak and off-peak periods. For individuals with prepay meters, the in-home display serves as a valuable tool, providing comprehensive information such as:

The remaining balance of credit is available.
Availability and activation status of emergency credit, along with activation times.
Details regarding any existing debt, if applicable.
Notifications indicating when credit levels are dwindling, prompting timely action.

Is the installation safe?

Yes, smart meters and their installation are completely safe. They adhere to both UK and EU safety standards, ensuring consistent safety regardless of your energy supplier. Trained installers, who have undergone formal qualifications outlined in the Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice, handle the installation process.

During installation, these skilled professionals conduct visual safety checks to identify any potential risks associated with your gas appliances. In some cases, they have even detected issues with appliances in customers' homes.

In today's era of remarkable technological advancements, smart meters stand out as an exciting innovation. They represent the next evolution of gas and electricity meters, replacing outdated analogue meters. Smart meters accurately monitor your energy usage and associated costs in near-real time, providing valuable insights.

But how do they achieve this? Smart meters display digital meter readings and utilize a secure smart data network to automatically transmit these readings to your energy supplier. This ensures that you receive precise, not estimated bills, eliminating the need for manual readings. It's indeed a smart solution!

How can I read a smart meter?

Your smart meter takes care of sending your meter readings directly to your energy supplier, doing away with the need for manual readings. It simplifies the process, making it a thing of the past. Nonetheless, if you ever find the need to, you can still take readings yourself using your smart meter along with the accompanying in-home display. This provides you with the flexibility to stay informed about your energy usage whenever you wish.

Why take a manual smart meter reading?

Smart meters send meter readings to your energy supplier automatically, so you won't have to bother with taking readings yourself. This means you can count on precise bills, without any guesswork. However, there are situations where taking a manual reading might be beneficial:

If you want to keep a personal track of your energy usage alongside your in-home display.
If you've adjusted the settings on your smart meter it no longer sends readings automatically.
When you switch energy suppliers (usually, you only need to provide the first-meter reading).
If you've switched suppliers and have an SMETS1 meter, you may need to take a reading.

How can I get a smart meter if I don’t have one?

Lots of homes in Britain can switch to a smart meter today. However, where you live, the type of home you have, and the age and type of your current meter might mean it takes your energy supplier a bit longer to install yours.

Your supplier will contact you when your smart meter is ready to be installed. If you're interested in getting one sooner, you can always ask them about it.

To request your smart meter, contact your energy supplier or choose from the list below to contact for your business queries.

To take correct meter readings if you have a smart meter

To correctly read your meter readings you must need to know what type of smart meter are you looking at:

Your gas smart meter
Your electric smart meter

How to read your gas smart meter?

If you're having trouble locating your readings on your gas smart meter, they're displayed as a number followed by 'm3'. If finding your meter reading proves tricky, don't hesitate to reach out to your energy supplier for assistance. They'll offer tailored advice based on the type of in-home display you have.

Smart meters vary among energy suppliers, so yours might appear different from those of your friends or neighbours. For personalized guidance on how to take a meter reading using your specific smart meter, get in touch with your energy supplier. They'll provide you with the necessary instructions and support.

Gas smart meters with ‘A’ and ‘B’ buttons right below the screen

Press the left button (often labelled 'A').
Continue pressing the left button until you see 'METER INDEX' and numbers followed by 'M3'.
Write down the number displayed from left to right; this is your gas meter reading.
Remember to ignore any leading zeroes and numbers after the decimal point.

Gas smart meters with 3 red buttons of square in shape

Press the left button, which may be labelled 'A'.
Write down the number displayed from left to right; this is your gas meter reading.
Remember to ignore any leading zeroes and numbers after the decimal point.

Gas smart meters with 2 arrow buttons and a circle button

Press the middle circle button.
Write down the number displayed from left to right; this is your gas meter reading.
Remember to ignore any leading zeroes and numbers after the decimal point.

Gas smart meters with a keypad

Press 9 on your gas meter.
Wait until 'VOLUME' appears on the screen.
Wait until the display changes to show numbers followed by 'M3'.
Write down the number displayed from left to right; this is your gas meter reading.
Remember to disregard any leading zeroes and numbers after the decimal point.

Gas smart meters with orange and blue arrow buttons

Press the orange button on your gas meter.
Write down the number displayed from left to right; this is your gas meter reading.
Remember to ignore any leading zeroes and numbers after the decimal point.

Gas smart meters with 2 white buttons on the right side of the screen

Press the right button, which might be labelled 'OK' or have an arrow on it.
Write down the number displayed from left to right; this is your gas meter reading.
Remember to disregard any leading zeroes and numbers after the decimal point.

Gas smart meters with a button on the left and right-hand side of the screen

Press either of the buttons on your gas meter.
Wait till '01' is displayed with numbers followed by 'M3'.
Write down the number displayed from left to right; this is your gas meter reading.
Remember to disregard any leading zeroes and numbers after the decimal point.

How to read your electric smart meter?

Getting a reading from your electric smart meter depends on how it looks. When you want to find out how much electricity you've used, you have to find the number with 'kWh' next to it, which means kilowatt hours. It's important to know that smart meters can look different depending on who provides your energy, so yours might not look like your neighbour’s.

If you need help understanding how to use your specific smart meter to get readings, it's a good idea to contact your energy company. They can give you exact instructions for your particular meter model.

Smart meters with a keypad

Press the number 9.
Wait until you see 'IMP KWH' on the display.
You'll see numbers next to 'KWH'.
Write down these numbers from left to right; this is your meter reading.
Don't forget to skip any zeroes at the beginning and any numbers after the decimal point.

Smart electricity meters with ‘A’ and ‘B’ buttons under the screen

Press the A button and wait a few seconds.
Press the A button again until you see 'TOTAL ACT IMPORT' and numbers next to 'KWH'.
Write down the number from left to right; this is your meter reading.
Remember to skip any zeroes at the beginning and any numbers after the decimal point.

Smart electricity meters with a green ‘A’ button to the right of the screen and a white ‘B’ button below itn

Press the white B button to illuminate the screen.
Wait until the screen displays 'meter boost' – then press 'A' to choose 'no'.
You should then see your meter reading next to 'KWH'.
Write down the numbers from left to right; this is your meter reading.
Remember to disregard any zeroes at the beginning and any numbers after the decimal point.

Smart electricity meters with 3 buttons to the right of the screen

Press the middle button.
Write down the number below 'IMP' from left to right; this is your meter reading.
Remember to skip any zeroes at the beginning and any numbers after the decimal point.

Smart electricity meters with 1 orange button and 2 blue buttons

Press the orange button.
Write down the number from left to right; this is your electric meter reading.
Remember to disregard any zeroes at the beginning and any numbers after the decimal point.

Smart electricity meters with 2 white buttons to the right of the screen

Your meter should switch screens automatically, so wait for the one displaying numbers followed by 'KWH'. If your smart meter doesn't switch screens automatically, get in touch with your energy supplier.

Write down the numbers from left to right; this is your meter reading.
Remember to disregard any zeroes at the beginning and any numbers after the decimal point.

Smart electricity meters with 2 buttons to the right of the screen and one says ‘reconnect’

Press the 'display' or 'display select' button.
Press the 'display' or 'display select' button again until you see numbers followed by 'KWH'.
Write down the number from left to right; this is your meter reading.
Remember to disregard any zeroes at the beginning and any numbers after the decimal point.

Smart electricity meters with a green ‘A’ button and grey ‘B’ button to the right of the screen

Look at the screen - no need to press any buttons.
Write down the number next to 'KWH' from left to right; this is your meter reading.
Remember to disregard any zeroes at the beginning and any numbers after the decimal point.