IT’S A SMARTER CHOICE

Upgrading to a smart meter has made Patricia Fogden’s life easier

FOR Patricia Fogden, a vicar from Ashford, Kent, reading her gas and electricity meters was a regular inconvenience – until she made the decision to upgrade to smart meters.

Now, the 66 year old and her husband Peter, 69, needn’t worry, because their smart meter sends the readings directly to their energy supplier without them lifting a finger.

“Before we upgraded, we used to have to wait for the gas man to come and read the meter, or send a reading ourselves,” Patricia says.

“The problem was, my meter wasn’t easy to get at. I used to have to go into the garage and get the stepladder to reach it. But now the smart meter takes care of all that for me.”

What’s more, upgrading to a smart meter means the couple can now keep on top of how much energy they use.

“When I heard about smart meters, they seemed like a good idea because they help you keep an eye on how much energy you’re using and how much it costs in pounds and pence, so I asked our energy supplier to put one in,” she says.

“Now every time I go in the kitchen I keep an eye on the monitor and see how much I’m using.”

Although Patricia was unsure how long her smart meter would take to install, it only took a few hours for her energy supplier to upgrade both meters.

“It couldn’t have been simpler,” she says. “It only took a morning for the energy supplier to do both the gas and electricity meters.”

Now Patricia says she would definitely recommend a smart meter to her friends after the upgrade made her life easier.

“It’s much less hassle and they’re very handy for keeping an eye on how much you’re spending on energy,” she says. Contact your energy supplier today about getting your smart meter at no extra cost. 1. Ask your energy supplier Contact your energy supplier about getting your smart meter and arrange a time and date for installation. 2. Have your meter installed A trained installer will visit your home and fit your smart meter at no extra cost and answer any questions you have. 3. Take control of your energy Start using your new smart meter – and begin saving money at home! ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE