While promising improved assistance for customers who have already got a smart meter, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero intends “tough new obligations” for energy suppliers to accelerate the long-delayed and significantly overbudget implementation of smart meters in UK.
Charlotte Friel, who is the director of retail pricing and systems at energy watchdog Ofgem, gave a written statement:
“Millions of consumers rely on their smart meter every day for accurate billing, cheaper tariffs, automatic meter readings and real-time data to help keep track of spending.
But we know many customers that want a smart meter wait too long to get one installed or face delays on repairs when it stops working – this needs to change. We’re working closely with suppliers to drive improvement, and have seen more than 600,000 faulty smart meters reconnected since last July after we opened compliance engagement.
This is only the beginning – with automatic compensation, faster fixes, and improved installation standards well on the way, getting a smart meter will be quicker and easier than ever.”
Ofgem referred The Register to a March report that stated about four million installed smart meters were not in smart mode when asked what proportion of known defective or disconnected smart meters the 600,000 figure reflects.
It would be an understatement to say that the rollout of smart meters in UK has been problematic: the project has been repeatedly delayed, is significantly over budget, and costs are rising. In addition, the meters themselves are facing several kinds of technical challenges, from inaccurate readings to random changes in language and a heavy dependency on out-of-date mobile networks which are being shut down, leaving some models of smart meters—roughly seven million in the UK alone—without connectivity.
The National Audit Office mocked the then-government’s boasts of massive energy bill reductions back in 2018, estimating that the deployment would provide just about £18 in benefits per family. The new government is backing down on their claims that the technology might help achieve environmental, rather than direct monetary, savings through integration with low-carbon technologies, however there is no evidence that suggests that they are interested in giving up the plan.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have issued a guidance document that describes ten crucial “service expectations” in hope to further better the circumstances. These expectations includes that installations must get done with “minimal disruption,” malfunctioning devices be “promptly” investigated, readings will be submitted automatically as well as generate”accurate bills,” and that suppliers only remotely switch meters into prepayment-only mode “if it is safe and works for you to use this payment method.”
The department also issued a “call for evidence” at the same time about the Clean Power 2030 initiative and the ways in which smart meters and low-carbon technology might be used “to drive efficiencies and enhance the consumer experience.” One of the main topics of that discussion was “installer field capacity constraints in certain locations [which] cause delays for some consumers trying to arrange installation appointments.”
In the meantime, the government is currently conducting an open discussion on proposed “strict new obligations,” that the government will be implementing after its as-yet-unmet installation targets at the end of the year. These would include the “Guaranteed Standards of Performance,” originally set out in May by Ofgem, and this could guarantee reimbursement in the form of a £40 payment to anyone who was forced to wait a minimum of six weeks for a smart meter installation or whose installation was called off because they didn’t have the “necessary skills or resources,” along with anyone whose smart meter ended up “operating in traditional mode for a significant length of time because of a malfunction or other issue”.
The government has started introducing the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The said Planning and Infrastructure Bill will lessen the bills of homeowners in Great Britain that reside near new pylons by up to £2,500 over a ten-year period.
It said:
“The plans could see eligible households save up to £250 off their electricity bill a year, receiving a £125 discount every 6 months.”
The promise of increased support for smart meter connectivity over a 4G mobile network, which will replace the 2G and 3G networks that are currently being shut down, and the capability for smart meters to use a customer’s broadband connection instead of needing a dedicated uplink of their own will help suppliers with the latter.
Dan Brooke, CEO of smart meter supplier Smart Energy GB, supported the announcement of government and stated that:
“These technical improvements, along with the government’s new guide to smart metering, will provide reassurance to households and allow an even greater number to enjoy the benefits that smart meters bring, including more control over energy use and access to flexible tariffs that can help save money.”
