Smart Meters not working
Almost four million smart meters in Great Britain are not working properly.According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Desnez), 2.7 million were not operating in smart mode as of June 2023. It has since revised this figure to 4.31 million, citing reporting errors from a minority of suppliers.At the end of last year, 3.98 million were faulty.Energy UK, the trade association for the energy industry, says suppliers must replace broken meters.How do smart meters work?Smart meters measure how much gas and electricity a household uses and show how much it costs in near real time. They can send readings via a remote connection to energy suppliers (smart mode, external).If they lose connection customers often rely on estimated bills, which should be corrected once the supplier has manual meter readings.But some customers have paid too much and struggled to get their money back – or too little and gone into debt.According to Smart Energy GB, a non-profit organisation focusing on the benefits of smart meters, there are now almost 35 million smart meters in Great Britain and the 'vast majority' are operating as intended.It said 88.6% were operating in smart mode at the end of 2023, up from 87.3% the previous year.'Two years of hell'Peta Butler, 79, lives near Tunbridge Wells. Between January and June 2023 her energy bill went up to over £3,500, leaving her "terrified" to use electricity.Her son said the problems began when she was changed to a smart meter on a single tariff, in 2022. The new meter was not recorded properly and she kept getting estimated bills based on her old meter.She said: “It’s been two years of hell. It’s affected my health. And it’s completely taken away any confidence I’ve got. If I have to do anything, I just panic. I don’t sleep at night really because my body, it can’t let go.”Mrs Butler said she recently received £2,900 back from Utility Warehouse - which did not cover what she was owed. She is now with a different supplier.A Utility Warehouse spokesperson said they would refund Mrs Butler with all the money she had paid on the account."We acknowledge that the customer service Mrs Butler received fell below our usual high standards and we’re sorry for the inconvenience and distress this has caused," they said."We have spoken to the customer and after further reviewing the account, have agreed to provide a goodwill payment in acknowledgement of the service she received.”
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