Our energy meter has reached the end of its life and our supplier says a smart meter is now a 'legal requirement'

We are constantly being emailed by our energy supplier to have a smart meter installed.

It says it is a ‘legal requirement’ as our meter is at the end of its life.

Do we have to comply? If we don’t can our energy firm turn our power off? S.H.

On the meter: Suppliers have an obligation to fit smart meters, but you don’t have to accept

Angharad Carrick of This Is Money replies: Smart meters were introduced in 2011 as a way of helping households stay in control of their energy bills and, in turn, keep bills down.

They are installed in homes to replace more traditional meters, including prepayment key meters. Suppliers say they provide more accurate and up-to-date readings, so customers only pay for the energy they have used.

Over 30 million households now have a functioning smart meter and the Government plans to have the gadgets in 80 per cent of households by 2025.

But not everyone wants them. Some households have complained of inaccurate readings which have led to sky-high bills, and prefer to take the readings themselves.

Why are smart meters being installed?

Energy suppliers have been directed by the Government to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to install smart meters.

The data is primarily used to give your supplier access to your energy usage to ensure accurate billing and deal with any problems to your supply.

If you give permission, suppliers can also use your data to offer you new products, such as a smart tariff that charges different amounts at different times.

An Economy 7 electricity tariff, which comes with an Economy 7 meter, gives you a cheaper electricity rate for seven hours at night, off peak, and a higher one in the day.

It means you pay less for your energy use at night – usually between midnight and 7am – and more for energy used during the day.

Suppliers will generally contact households to tell them when they need such a meter installed, but you can also request one.

Suppliers can also provide an in-home display which will tell you your energy usage in pounds and pence. This data is also available online or on an app, if your supplier has one.

However there have been issues with the smart meter rollout. Some readers have told This is Money that their bills do not accurately reflect their energy usage.

Other households have said they feel they have been bullied into getting one and made to believe it is compulsory.

Do you have to get a smart meter installed?

Smart meters are not compulsory and it is up to you whether you get one installed.

You will likely be offered one by your supplier if you don’t already have one, but you are well within your right to refuse.

If you do refuse, remember that you won’t have access to all energy tariffs, which means you might end up paying more for your energy than you otherwise could.

However your supplier will insist on installing a smart meter if your current meter is about to become obsolete and can’t be repaired, or can’t be replaced by another non-smart meter.

Most non-smart meters are no longer being manufactured.

Suppliers are also under obligation to install a smart meter if the old meter is deemed unsafe.

I still have no inclination to get a smart meter, says LEE BOYCE 

However, you are entitled to ask for evidence and if your supplier doesn’t provide this then you can refuse a smart meter.

How energy firms treat smart meters 

I checked with the leading suppliers whether they allow their customers to refuse a smart meter.

Octopus Energy says you do not have to have a smart meter installed but it recommends customers do.

Its website tells customers: ‘It’s becoming increasingly difficult to source standard meters. They’re slowly becoming obsolete as fewer manufacturers are making them, and fewer people want them. If your standard meter breaks, it could be challenging (for any supplier) to find another standard meter to replace it.’

British Gas does offer non-smart meters but charges a fee ‘to balance customer preferences with the costs of sourcing non-smart meters, as these are no longer manufactured.’

Scottish Power also said customers had the choice between smart and traditional meters while existing meters remain fully operational.

‘Manufacturers have largely stopped producing traditional meters, meaning there will be circumstances in which only a smart meter is available for installation.’

If your traditional meter has come to the end of its life as your supplier has indicated, it is likely you will have to have a smart meter installed.

If you’re not happy with your data being sent to your supplier automatically, there is another option.

Some suppliers allow you to set up your smart meter in ‘dumb’ mode, which switches the ‘smart’ functionality off.

Octopus Energy said this means your meter would work like a standard meter and won’t take readings automatically, but the firm won’t physically remove the smart meter.

EDF says: ‘Whilst we would action the customer’s request to have a smart meter installed in dumb mode where the scenario permits, we would encourage them to have the meter operating in smart mode in order to access the benefits such as understanding their energy usage and having meter readings taken automatically.’

Have you been told that you must have a smart meter after your traditional meter reached the end of its life? Contact: [email protected]