1.4 million households waiting more than six months for their smart meter to be fixed

• Half (48%) of households without a smart meter would consider getting one in the future^[1], but consumer confidence in their reliability needs to be boosted
• 2.6 million households with a  smart meter in ‘dumb mode’ or broken display have contacted their supplier to get it fixed, with 1.4 million households (41%) left waiting over six months^[2]
• Households are eager to get their smart features back, and those with problems calling their provider four times on average trying to get it fixed^[3]
• 3.5 million households are stuck with a smart meter in ‘dumb mode’^[4], meaning they have to take manual readings or risk relying on estimated bills
• Smart meters are a key part of modernising the UK’s energy grid, helping the nation to use more renewable energy and take control of home energy usage
• Uswitch calls on the energy industry to take urgent action to sort out smart meters in ‘dumb mode’ so more customers can get the benefits 

Some 2.6 million households with a disconnected smart meter or broken display have asked their supplier to fix it – with 1.4 million waiting six months or more for the issue to be resolved^[2], according to new research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service. 

Energy suppliers have a target to install smart meters in at least 74.5% of homes in Great Britain by the end of 2025[5]. Research from Uswitch found that nearly one in ten (9%) households with a smart meter say their device is not communicating with their supplier^[6], while a tenth (11%) say the display unit is not working properly^[7].

Smart meters are part of the effort to create a ‘smart grid’, a big part of enabling clean power for Britain's households. But some meters go into ‘dumb’ mode and stop communicating with the smart meter system due to technical issues^[8]. This can be because of an issue with the meter itself, historic interoperability issues, or a weak signal from the communications network it uses to send readings.  

Smart meters usually come with an in-home display which can help households take control of their energy usage, helping to save money on energy bills. Smart meters can also connect to smartphone apps, such as the Uswitch app, to offer more detailed insights on home energy usage.

Customers with smart meters that are not fully working are eager to get their smart features back. Three quarters of households with a broken smart meter or display (74%) have already asked their supplier to fix the device. The average household has contacted their supplier four times to try and get their devices repaired, while one in ten (10%) have chased eight times or more^[3].

Disconnected smart meters are an industry-wide issue, with more than 3.5 million currently in dumb mode across Great Britain^[9]. Figures from Ofgem reveal that British Gas has the highest proportion (16.3%), followed by Scottish Power (14.5%) and EDF Energy (12.1%)^[10]. In contrast, E has the lowest share (2.6%) ahead of Ovo (5.6%) and Utilita (5.8%).

More than a third (36%) of households say they don’t have a smart meter installed^[11], of which almost half (48%) said they may get one at some point in the future. Reliability is a major consideration, as half (49%) of households without a smart meter said they would want assurances that the technology would work properly before getting one installed^[12]. 

Uswitch is calling on the energy industry to get the nation’s disconnected smart meters working again and help revive consumer confidence in a technology that could be essential in our path to a modern, low-carbon energy system. 

Richard Neudegg, director of regulation at Uswitch.com, comments: “A working smart meter can save households time and money, helping them track and reduce their daily energy usage. Smart meters are expected to increasingly allow consumers access to cheaper energy prices when demand is low or there is lots of renewable energy available on the grid.

“Millions of customers are not benefitting from the smart technology, which allows for accurate billing without the need to manually submit meter readings. 

“While the vast majority of smart meters are working as they should, it's vitally important that the industry takes urgent action to sort out all the disconnected smart meters, to give those customers back the benefits and help reassure households who have delayed getting one so far. 

“There are multiple ways the roll-out could have been improved, but the important thing is helping more consumers reap the benefits as quickly as possible. Fixing disconnected smart meters and restoring consumer confidence in their reliability are fundamental to this. 

“If your smart meter’s in-home display is not working, there are other ways to view your smart meter data. The Uswitch app, for example, connects to your smart meter to help you track your daily energy usage from your phone instead.”

Read our smart meter guide for more information. 

Consumers with a smart meter can use the Uswitch app for personalised energy usage insights.