The days of having someone knock on the door to read the meter will soon be a distant memory due to smart meters. What is a smart meter and why get one?
Smart meters
Smart meters send meter readings from the house directly to the energy supplier, so users don’t need to answer the door to a meter reader and readings are always up to date, meaning users can wave goodbye to estimated bills and only pay for the energy they use.
In other words, a smart meter is just like a traditional gas and electricity meter, but more clever. It uses modern technology to measure energy consumption and report it back to suppliers, so users don’t have to.
smart meter rollout
A smart meter has two parts: the meter itself and the in-home display (IHD) unit
The smart meter rollout was set in motion by the UK government in 2011. The first generation of smart meters, the SMETS1 (SMETS stands for Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications) has now been overtaken by the SMETS2, the current industry standard.
A smart meter has two parts: the meter itself and the in-home display (IHD) unit.
reduce energy consumption
The meter uses a secure wireless data connection to send readings to the supplier and the display shows how much energy is used and how much it’s costing. Ecotricity is a big fan of smart meters.
As Britain’s greenest energy provider, its mission is to end fossil fuels and it believes smart meters will help customers to understand, and reduce their energy consumption. It’s great for both the planet and lower bills.
Why get a smart meter?
If users don’t have one, their smart meters will be free, there’s no cost for having one or getting it installed. And there are plenty of other smart meter advantages – here are the top four.
Reasons to get a smart meter
- Smart meters give more accurate bills.
They mean an end to estimated bills because the supplier always has an up-to-date reading of energy use and only charges for that.
- Smart meters help become more energy conscious and reduce usage.
Users will get an insight into how much energy different appliances use and can change behavior accordingly
Do users know the old saying ‘knowledge is power’? With a smart meter display, it’s easy to see what energy they are using and when, and how much it’s costing. Users get asked a lot about whether a smart meter will save a customer money. And the answer is simple: it’s not the meter that saves money, it’s how to use the information from the meter that will help make savings.
Users will get a clearer insight into how much energy different appliances use and can change behavior accordingly like only boiling the water needed to make a cuppa (kettles are surprisingly energy-greedy), turning off appliances at bedtime, making sure the washing machine is full when using it, and drying clothes outside on the line.
- In the future, smart meters will allow users to take advantage of advanced time-of-use tariffs.
Energy suppliers, including Ecotricity, have big plans to give even more control over energy usage.
When time-of-use tariffs launch, smart meter customers will be able to cut their bills by using energy at cheaper times and help fight the climate crisis by using energy-intensive appliances when there’s lots of green energy available.
- Smart meters help energy network operators balance the grid by providing more information about energy consumption patterns.
Knowing about UK consumers’ energy usage will enable the National Grid and energy suppliers to be more efficient about the energy they produce and make changes that will benefit the environment.
The more people who use smart meters across the country, the more accurate a picture the network operators will have of energy usage.