Guide to Smart Meters

With a smart meter, you can track your energy usage more accurately – so it could be a useful addition to your home.

A smart meter records exactly how much gas and electricity you use and automatically sends regular readings to your energy supplier. You’ll also get more accurate bills, based on the energy you’ve actually used, not an estimate. And you don’t need internet access to have one. Smart meters come with a small, easy-to-use device that's known as an 'in-home display unit'. This sits in your home and allows you to see how much energy you’re using in kilowatt hours (kWh) and exactly how much it’s costing you in pounds and pence.

If you want to, you can also use the smart meter display to see if and when you’re using more energy than usual, for example if you’ve been using an appliance that uses a lot of energy. That could help you take steps to reduce your energy use.

Find out more about smart meters on the Smart Energy GB website

Do I need internet access to have a smart meter?
Smart meters use a secure smart meter network, so you won’t need an internet connection in your home.

What about if I rent my home?
You can have a smart meter if you rent your home.  If the energy bills are in your name, you can choose to have a smart meter installed. But it’s worth letting your landlord know that you want to do this ahead of the installation.

If you don’t pay your energy bills, you can ask your landlord to get a smart meter installed for you.

What if I have a prepay meter?

If you’re on a prepay meter you can still get a smart meter. Your smart meter display will show you when you need more credit.

You can still top up in a shop, as well as other ways such as online or using your mobile phone.

It’s worth getting a smart meter if you live alone

Even if it’s just you in the house, a smart meter can still help you find ways to reduce your energy use. You’ll get more accurate bills, and you won’t have to submit meter readings.

Information from the smart meter display can also help you spot when an appliance may have been left on accidentally.

If you have a carer that has access to your bills, this can also help them spot any issues with your energy use.

Benefits of a smart meter

Smart meters record exactly how much gas and electricity you use, and automatically send this information to your supplier, so you don’t have to take and submit meter readings anymore.

Also, you should get accurate bills, so you’ll only be paying for the energy you use.

However, it’s still a good idea to check that your bills match the amount of energy you’ve used.

A smart meter can help you manage how much energy you use. When you can see and understand your energy usage and costs, you’re likely to be better at managing it.

With a smart meter, you could also get rewarded by your energy company for using energy when other people are using less, like doing the laundry or batch cooking at off-peak times.

Speak to your energy supplier about what tariffs would suit you.

How do I get a smart meter?

If you’d like a smart meter, contact your energy supplier and they will be able to tell you whether you can have a smart meter.

They may also be able to tell you when it can be installed.

There are lots of different ways to get in touch with them.

You’ll find all the contact details on your energy bill.