Not smart! Meters fail if you swap suppliers

MORE than seven million households have been given flawed smart energy meters that fail if you switch suppliers, the Mail can reveal.

Customers have been urged to sign up for smart meters on the basis that they will be able to see in pounds and pence how much power they are using.

But these meters – which automatically send suppliers meter readings – currently only work with the customer’s existing provider.

If customers decide they want a cheaper deal and decide to switch suppliers, the meters stop working and customers have to go back to submitting readings.

The Mail understands that energy suppliers are preparing to launch a major upgrade to correct the fault later this year.

However, last night experts warned it could cause billing chaos for millions.

Mark Todd, director of Energyhelpline, branded the smart meter roll-out ‘a complete shambles’.

He said: ‘There is still a huge question mark over how firms will update these meters.

‘If they get it wrong, it could cause bills to go all over the place and it will be customers who end up footing the bill in the form of higher bills.’

Officials claim smart meters will help households reduce consumption and save on bills.

These digital meters will also put an end to estimated bills.

The Government wants all households to at least have been offered a smart meter by 2020. However, the cost of that is expected to top £11billion. Experts say this could add hundreds to bills over the next few years.

Privacy campaigners also fear energy firms will be able to see every detail of customers’ home life.

Official data shows that around 7.36million smart meters have been installed to date.

The majority have been fitted by Britain’s ‘Big Six’ suppliers – British Gas, EDF Energy, Eon, Npower, ScottishPower and SSE.

However, almost all units installed so far are so-called ‘first generation’ meters.

Roughly 5 per cent – or more than 400,000 – have already gone ‘dumb’ due to technical problems or customers switching, according to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The Government-appointed Data Communications Company (DCC) is said to be working on an update.

Big Six suppliers are also trialling second-generation meters.

A Smart Energy GB spokesman said: ‘There’s no reason to delay in getting a smart meter installed.

‘Millions of people across Britain already have and are benefiting from lower energy bills and greater control over their energy use.’

A DCC spokesman explained that the smart meter roll-out ‘will reduce household energy bills by £300million in 2020 alone’.

He added: ‘When connected to DCC’s network, smart meters empower people to take control of their energy spending by having access to accurate energy readings, making estimated bills a thing of the past.’

‘It’s a complete shambles’