The smart meter rollout is well underway, and every home and small business in the country is due to be offered one by 2025.
Here we answer all your frequently asked questions about smart meters, including how much they cost, which businesses are eligible, and whether they’re secure.
1. What is a smart meter?Answer: A smart meter is the new generation of energy meters for the supply of gas and electricity, which are being rolled out around the whole of the Great Britain.
2. What do smart meters actually do?Answer: Your smart meter measures how much gas and electricity you use and securely shares this directly with your energy supplier at least once a month. With 98% of small business owners still working evenings and weekends, any automation is welcome,
This is where smart meters come in handy.
You won’t have to take any meter readings manually — your smart meter will send automatic readings to your energy supplier via the secure smart data network.. This works in a similar way as other wireless systems but does not use the internet.
3. Why do I need to measure energy use in this way?Answer: Knowing exactly how much gas and electricity your business has used allows you to know exactly how much you need to pay to your energy supplier. This means rather than paying for your energy on an estimated basis, you can pay the precise amount.
In 2024, small business owners reported spending 36% of evenings and weekends on admin.
Having your energy automatically tracked and sent to your supplier cuts down on admin as well as costs.
4. How can I get a smart meter for my business?Answer: The smart meter rollout is in full flow, with over 33 million units installed in homes and small businesses across the UK. This means that your business either has already, or will be offered a smart meter as part of this rollout.
5. Are smart meters mandatory for businesses?Answer: While the government requires energy suppliers to offer a smart meter to all eligible small businesses, there’s no legal obligation for you to accept.
You’re able to refuse installation and then request a smart meter at any point in the future at no extra cost.
6. Can I get a smart meter if my small business is based at my home?Answer: Yes, both homes and businesses are included in the smart meter rollout. If your business is run from home, your business energy usage will be included and recorded as part of your domestic energy usage. If you have a separate meter in your home to monitor business energy usage, speak to your energy supplier about upgrading it to a smart meter.
7.I rent my premises from a landlord, what should I do?
Answer: If you rent your office, shop or unit and the landlord pays the energy bills, ask your landlord if they can get a smart meter. That could help ensure energy costs are shared fairly between all the businesses on site, based on how much energy you each use.
8. I’m not sure who our energy supplier is because we always use a broker to get the best deal for our business, what do we do in this situation?Answer: Get in touch with the energy broker that arranged your current energy supplier and they’ll be able to tell you. If the broker doesn’t immediately know, then it will contact the energy supplier on your behalf because this is one of the services that energy brokers offer.
9.If I want to get a smart meter fitted, how long does it take?
Answer: Once you have confirmation from your energy supplier that your business premises is suitable for a smart meter, the energy supplier will arrange an appointment to fit the meter. The whole installation takes roughly two hours and your gas and/or electricity will be turned off for a short period of time.
The supplier will try and arrange a time that works for you and creates as little disruption as possible for your business, so you can take it off your to-do list.
10. Can I arrange an installation outside working hours?Answer: Most energy suppliers can be fairly flexible about installation timings, so you can find a time that will limit disruption to your business, whether that’s in the evening or even on a Saturday. 27% of small business owners say that giving up their free time was the biggest sacrifice they had to make when setting up a business, but smart meter installation won’t add to this.
Remember, your electricity and/or gas will have to be turned off while the installation takes place.
11. How experienced and trained are the installers as I’m worried they may not know what they are doing?Answer: The installers are full trained and experienced in the process of fitting smart energy meters so you can have complete confidence in their work.
12.My business is eligible for a smart meter but my energy supplier hasn’t offered one yet, what should I do?
Answer: If you your business hasn’t yet been offered a smart meter, there’s nothing stopping you reaching out to your energy supplier directly and asking for one. As the official rollout isn’t due to be wrapped up until 2025, it could just be that you haven’t reached the front of the queue yet.
13. Can I still switch energy suppliers if I have a smart meter?Answer: Yes, you can switch energy suppliers if you have a smart meter for business. If you have a second-generation smart meter, your meter will continue to send readings automatically and there shouldn’t be any disruption to your meter billing.
14.Can I change how frequently my readings are taken?
Answer: Your smart meter will take readings either every half hour, once a day, or once a month. Different suppliers have different standard reading frequencies, and you can choose which one you prefer. An every half hour frequency offers you the most detail about your business energy usage.
When the Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement is introduced, actual energy consumption for all homes and small businesses will be recorded every half hour as standard.
Answer: You shouldn’t have to take a reading from your smart meter, but if you do want to monitor your own energy usage, or you switch suppliers and are required to submit a first reading, it is possible.
The engineer who installs your smart meter should show you how to take a reading from your specific model or you can ask your energy supplier or consult the instruction manual.
What happens if my smart meter stops being smart?
Answer: Even if your smart meter stops automatically sending readings to your supplier, it should still be recording your energy usage. You’ll need to provide manual readings until your smart meter can be repaired or replaced. And even if you switch suppliers, your current supplier is responsible for maintaining your meter, so there’s no need to contact the supplier who installed it.
17. Is my smart meter secure?Answer: Smart meters have been designed in conjunction with both the government and GCHQ to ensure your business data is secure. Smart meters do not use the internet, and they have their own closed, dedicated communications system.
Smart meters have been designed to ensure that security best practice has been incorporated at every stage.
18. What is the in-home display?Answer: You may be offered an in-home display alongside your new smart meter. This portable screen is an easy way to monitor how much energy you’re using and how much it’s costing you in real time.
19. I’m keen for my business to contribute to reducing climate change.Does getting a smart meter help?
Answer: Measuring accurately how much energy businesses use helps with the bigger challenge of creating sufficient energy to power the nation’s business needs and helps to implement more energy efficient methods, including wind and solar and reducing the dependence on fossil fuels.
So, while your energy business use is very small, when looked at on a national basis every little bit helps towards the country’s longer term climate targets.
20. Who is Smart Energy GB?Answer: Smart Energy GB is a government-backed organisation tasked with informing businesses and consumers about the benefits of smart meters. The national campaign is tasked with helping everyone in England, Scotland and Wales understand smart meters, the national rollout and how to use their new meters to be cleaner and greener with their energy use.
Sources:
Research was carried out by OnePoll for Smart Energy GB between 14th-19th February 2024 and surveyed 500 GB small business owners who have set up their own business.
For more information about the how to install a smart meter in your workplace, visit the Smart Energy GB website at smartenergyGB.org.
See also: 5 benefits for your business of getting a smart meter you might not know
This article is part of a paid-for information campaign for Smart Energy GB.
Henry Williams is a freelance journalist specialising in small business topics, such as Making Tax Digital. More by Henry Williams
Disclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by finopulse.
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