A smart meter is a type of gas and electricity meter that can digitally send meter readings to your energy supplier, for more accurate bills.
Smart meters come with in-home displays, so you can better understand your energy usage. Every home in Britain should have been offered a smart meter from their supplier by 2024.
Benefits of having a smart meter
- Smart meters give you near real-time information on energy use in pounds and pence
- You will be able to better manage your energy use, save money, and reduce emissions
- Smart meters will bring an end to estimated billing. You will only be billed for the energy you use, helping you budget better
- In time, smart meters will make switching suppliers smoother and faster. This will make it easier to get the best deals
- You will not be charged separately for a smart meter or the In-Home Display. Under current arrangements, you pay for the cost of your meter and its maintenance through your energy bills, and this will be the same for smart meters
Benefits for prepayment customers
Smart meters can work in prepayment or credit mode. Prepayment customers will see some benefits from having a smart meter, for example:
- Your energy supplier may be able to offer you new and more flexible ways of topping up your meter that don’t require you to visit a shop
- You’ll be able to see your balance on your easy-to-access 'In Home Display', so you don’t run out of credit without knowing about it
- Your smart meter can be set to top up automatically so that if you do run out of credit at night or when the shops are shut, you won’t be left without power
Further information on the benefits of smart meters, what they are and how they work, is available on the Smart Energy GB website.
Below is a video from Cosy Kingdom, that gives you some advice on how to read your smart meter: