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Energy suppliers forced to fix faulty smart meters as soon as
possible or face fines and penalties
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Cutting wait time to no more than 90 days so
households can save money on bills
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Builds on £40 compensation if consumers face
issues while getting a smart
meter installed
Families will save money on bills through new obligations that
energy suppliers will fix their smart meter more quickly, cutting
waiting times for billpayers.
Under tough new standards, suppliers will have no more than 90
days to repair faulty smart meters – or else
face action from the regulator, which
could include fines or legal action.
While 92% of smart meters work as they should, many
households have struggled with their smart meters
not operating in smart mode, meaning they do not send
automatic meter readings to suppliers – and have had to wait far
too long to get them fixed.
The government's changes will help put an end to that – driving
up standards and cracking down on bad practice – in the
latest step to reform the energy market and put billpayers
first.
Consumers are also now eligible for £40 in compensation
if they face issues throughout the process of
installing a smart meter, such as delayed or
failed installations, following reforms brought forward by
Ofgem last month.
And last summer, the government published
a guide to smart
metering to support families to gain a better
understanding of their rights by clearly setting out in one
place everything households can expect from suppliers when they
get a smart meter.
Minister for Energy Consumers said:
Smart meters are already helping millions
of people manage their energy use and save
on bills.
But we know far too many people can be
waiting several months for
their smart meter to be fixed – and
losing money in the process.
These new rules will put an end to this, making
sure meters are fixed in good time – driving
up standards, protecting billpayers,
and helping more consumers feel the benefits of having
a smart meter.
Energy suppliers will also be required to replace
all smart meters that are still connected to 2G and 3G before the
services are switched off by 2033, under rules
introduced today – ensuring consumers continue
to benefit from their smart
meters as local networks move over to 4G
services.
Almost 40 million households and small
businesses across Britain already use smart meters
to help them better understand their energy
use and bring down their bills. In 2025, households
with smart meters saved an estimated £700
million on their bills.
Notes to editors:
Suppliers are already required to take all reasonable
steps to fix smart meters that are not working as
they should. The obligations being introduced today will now
provide a time frame within which suppliers
must provide repairs – mandating that suppliers must
take all reasonable steps to ensure that meters are
fixed as soon as possible, and no longer than 90 days after they
are notified of the issue.
Failure to comply with these rules
could result in the energy regulator putting
companies on notice or enforcing fines.
The consultation on the post-2025 smart metering policy framework
can be found here: Smart metering policy
framework post 2025 - GOV.UK
Ofgem's announcement on guaranteed standards of performance for
smart meters can be found here: Ofgem to
roll out tougher smart meter rules from February Ofgem
40 million households and small businesses have a
smart meter, according to DESNZ analysis: Smart meter statistics -
GOV.UK
DESNZ analysis also estimates that households
with smart meters saved an estimated £700 million on
their bills in 2025.
