They were supposed to revolutionise our way of tracking energy use, but with almost three million failing to work properly, what does the future hold for smart meters?
Spike Milligan used to tell friends a story about his electricity meter. Back in the 1950s, he received a higher than usual bill. The electricity board told him the reason for this was that his meter – the old rusty spinning wheel type, obviously – was running backwards. ‘Aha,’ said the Goon, ‘that must mean I’m supplying you with electricity. I shall send you my bill forthwith.’
The point is that energy usage meters have been a ticklish subject ever since they became commonplace 90 or so years ago – especially because the utility companies allowed most people to use energy on credit rather than making pay-as-you-go coin meters universal. This meant the bills that ensued were often as welcome as an electric shock. The resentment at being charged in retrospect for an invisible product we had already used was widespread.
Spin forward to 2008, when smart energy meters – the very phrase still rankles many – were first proposed by the government. The benefits of modernising the old system were seen as huge; homes and businesses would have better control over their energy use, the scourge of estimated bills could be a thing of the past.
Energy efficiency would be improved too, driving down our bills and benefitting the environment. The antiquated and expensive practice of employing meter readers would no longer be needed. Yet, the giant, moonshot project of changing all meters in UK premises to a highly complex technological setup with three separate gadgets took years of planning before the full rollout could begin in 2016.
From the start, the government pushed the energy companies to make it their priority with the original plan being to have smart meters in all homes and businesses by 2019. This caused the companies to panic to avoid getting fined – hence the aggressive marketing calls for smart meters many of us remember. The government has since adjusted its deadlines three times, most recently saying that the 37 energy suppliers in the UK must ensure smart meters are in at least 74.5% of homes by 2025. Currently around 57% have them.
So, how is the smart meter rollout going? ‘It’s been a massive, massive shambles,’ says consumer rights expert Martyn James. ‘Smart meters are a good idea when they work. But the first generation of systems in homes barely worked at all. The second works for most households. But a large chunk of the UK population is stuck with a smart meter that doesn’t work. There’s a huge delay replacing the early ones, a huge delay for people waiting for their first smart meter, and many of the benefits touted have turned out to be moonshine. Years into the rollout, there are still storie
