Are smart meters in the home really safe?

SMART CHOICE: More people are upgrading to smart meters across Great Britain illions of smart meters have already been installed across the country, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

By 2020, the Government hopes everyone in Great Britain will have made the switch from old-style gas and electricity meters to the new smart meters.

“Ten million smart meters are now operating in Great Britain and thousands are being installed every day,” says Claire Perry MP, Minister for Clean Energy and Growth.

Smart meters, which send accurate information to energy suppliers in near-real time, are set to give consumers more control over their energy costs with the potential to save money on their bills.

Not only that, but they could help families and small businesses use less energy, as consumers get a more accurate picture of how much gas and electricity they use. Indeed, the meters are forecast to take £300m off consumer bills in 2020 alone.

It has been hailed by some as a dramatic improvement on the old-fashioned system of estimated bills, and the laborious task of

di t di t th Certainly, claims that having a smart meter fitted could cause a gas leak appear, on the surface, worrying. If it isn’t spotted and properly dealt with, such a leak could lead to a fire.

Thankfully with more than 10 illi t t i t ll d