Smart meter suspicions put drag on installation

SMART meter installations have declined at their steepest rate yet over the past three months, official data shows, amid suggestions that homeowners are refusing to have them put in.

The number of meters being installed in homes declined by 10 per cent over the past quarter, after falling continuously for the past nine months, data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strat- egy (BEIS) showed.

Industry sources said this was because households are rejecting smart meters over fears they may effectively trap them in overpriced energy deals, as they will lose their smart function if they switch. They also said technical difficulties and a short supply of new-style meters were factors behind the fall.

Peter Earl, head of energy at comparethemarket.com, said: “After all the flak about the issues surrounding smart meters, a 10 per cent drop in installations over the last quarter is another massive headwind for the roll-out programme. The repeated delay of the new smart meter system – SMETS2 – tells you all you need to know about this troubled initiative.

“Until the second generation of smart meters is being rolled out nationwide by all suppliers, so that people’s smart meters will continue to operate having switched supplier, we could not confidently recommend them to our customers.”

Experts said the slowdown meant the roll-out would fall behind its target of offering every home a smart meter by 2020.

Consumer experts have previously claimed that energy suppliers need to install the devices three times faster than current rates to meet the deadline.

It comes after spending watchdogs warned the Government’s smart meter rollout could end up costing every British household £100 more than expected.

A spokesman at BEIS declined to comment.