Is a smart meter worth having?
What a smart meter does and does not do, the tariffs it opens up, and the practical drawbacks worth knowing before you agree.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 15 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
A smart meter does not reduce your bill by itself — it removes estimated bills and manual readings, and gives you access to tariffs that need half-hourly data. The saving comes from what you do with the information, not from the meter.
Smart meters are often sold on the promise of savings, which sets the wrong expectation. What they actually change is the accuracy and the granularity of the data, and that opens some genuine opportunities if you are willing to shift when you use electricity.
Step by step
- Separate the meter from the display.The meter sends readings automatically. The in-home display shows usage in near real time. The display is what changes behaviour; the meter just removes the admin.
- Expect accurate bills rather than lower ones.No more estimates and no more crawling behind furniture with a torch. If you have been under-billed on estimates, your bills may rise to what you were actually using.
- Consider the tariffs it unlocks.Time-of-use tariffs charge different rates through the day and need half-hourly data. If you can shift washing, dishwashing or car charging to off-peak, these can save meaningfully.
- Check what happens if you switch supplier.Older first-generation meters sometimes lost smart functionality on switching. Newer ones should not — ask what generation is being installed.
- Check the signal at your property.Smart meters need a mobile or radio connection. In some rural areas and some basements they cannot connect, and revert to being read manually.
- Decide how often data is shared.You can usually choose daily, monthly or half-hourly. Half-hourly is required for time-of-use tariffs; monthly is the most private option.
- Use the display for a fortnight, properly.The value is in discovering what actually uses electricity in your home. Most people are surprised by at least one thing, and that is where any saving comes from.
Tips
- The display is more useful than the meter for changing habits. Put it somewhere you will actually look, not in a drawer.
- Watching the standby load with everything 'off' is the single most instructive thing most people do with one.
- You can generally decline a smart meter, though some tariffs will not be available to you.
Common mistakes
- Expecting the meter itself to save money — It measures. Savings come from changing what you use or when you use it, which requires actually engaging with the data.
- Putting the display away in a drawer — It is the part that changes behaviour. Without it, a smart meter is only an admin convenience.
Questions people ask
Do smart meters save money?
Not directly. They enable accurate billing and time-of-use tariffs, and the display helps you see what uses power. The saving comes from acting on that.
Can I refuse a smart meter?
Generally yes, though some tariffs — particularly cheaper off-peak ones — require one. You may also continue submitting manual readings.