Don’t fall for a dumb smart meter

ENERGY firms will continue to offer households ‘dumb’ smart meters for months. Providers were expected to stop offering first-generation meters, known as Smets1, from March 15 as they often stopworking when you switch suppliers.

But British Gas, SSE, EDF Energy, Eon, npower and Scottish Power have confirmed they are still installing the older meters. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy says suppliers should be ramping up installations of second-generation meters — Smets2 — which still work after changing provider.

Rik Smith, of comparison site uSwitch, says check you are getting a Smets2 model before agreeing to have one put in.