How a Smart Meter Can Save You Energy and Money

Introduced in 2011 by the UK government, smart meters were announced as the next generation of gas and electric meters. Seen by many as a fantastic new technology to help keep costs down, initially many homeowners were sceptical about what they considered a mere gadget. 

Yet, as of June 2022, a staggering 29.5 million homes and small businesses in Great Britain have a smart meter installed. But, with a Smart Metering Implementation Programme (SMIP) looking to roll out around 53 million installations, there’s still some way to go before the UK hits its target.

As there’s no getting away from the topic of energy hikes, and with many of us working more from the home environment than ever before, the smart meter may be key to how homeowners control their energy spending.

Here the Energy Efficiency team at City Plumbing looks at smart meters and asks are smart meters worth having?

How Much Does a Smart Meter Cost?

There is no cost for a smart meter to be fitted in your home. Your energy supplier will provide them and install them free of charge. If you’re yet to have a smart meter installed, the best place to start is to speak to your current energy supplier.

Do I Have to Have a Smart Meter?

Smart meters aren’t a legal requirement, and it's not essential to have one installed on your property. But, some customers may find it harder to access all tariffs without one as suppliers can offer smart-meter exclusive tariffs. Additionally, if your current old-style meter is faulty or unsafe, then you may be unable to refuse a smart meter replacement. This is especially so for suppliers who no longer stock those old-style meters.

How Does a Smart Meter Work?

Smart meters measure how much gas and electricity your home is using. They then collect this information and share the readings directly with your energy supplier using the secure smart data network. This eliminates the need for manual meter readings as the data is taken automatically, regularly, and in real-time. 

The result is more accurate bills produced and an easier way for you to budget as you know what your bills will be in advance. 

The smart meter itself is usually hidden from view, often under the stairs, and used to measure energy use before sending the information directly to your energy supplier.  

Then, the small portable screen, known as the In-Home Display (IHD), is what sits on show in your home to allow you to keep a close eye on your energy consumption. This will continually update to display how much gas and electricity you’re using in pounds and pence in real time. These displays will also show the spike and drop each time appliances and devices are turned on and off, with options to see graphs or data as preferred. 

How Your Smart Meter Can Help to Cut Your Energy Bills

• A smart meter highlights your home’s energy usage

As a visual aid, a smart meter can help you understand how much energy you’re actually using. Before smart meters, the only time most of us knew about our energy habits was when we received that final bill! Yet by having an in-house display, we can see in real-time the energy used by every appliance, and we can further isolate this to each room in the home. 

This means every time we switch something on, use an appliance, or even leave a device running, we can see the effect and impact of this. For example, you may have assumed that how you were heating your home was effective before, but a smart meter is now showing you otherwise. 

Thus, it gives you options to work on for optimising energy use going forward. 

Ultimately, you get a clearer idea of what you’re being billed for and where your energy usage is prominent, problematic, or just right.

• A smart meter emphasises energy-draining appliances and devices

For many people, smart meters are an eye-opener as they emphasise devices that you perhaps didn’t realise were so energy-draining. So, those things left on standby or those we’ve forgotten to unplug, like PCs, TVs, consoles, mobile phones, and tablet chargers all stick out here! These are often incorrectly believed to have little relevance to our energy bills - only to become the first to be unplugged when a smart meter is installed!

When you've understood what appliances are the most problematic, you’re better placed to work towards making changes. Whether that means considering replacing small appliances like kettles, bigger devices like fridge freezers, or potentially even turning to more energy-efficient means to heat your home and water, such as a heat pump. A smart meter draws attention to issues that you can fix and such fixes can actively improve your home's EPC rating. 

• A smart meter helps you take control of your energy spending

Ultimately, a smart meter can help you save money by encouraging you to take control of your energy spending. It does this by offering you all the necessary data to hand and creating an incentive in taking the next steps as to how to improve that usage. 

By seeing your energy usage in real-time you’re more inclined to work at ensuring it remains manageable, therefore making an active effort to implement any necessary changes. This makes you energy-conscious and helps you to change your behaviour.

Best of all, with the function to preset and target budgets, whether daily, weekly, or monthly, you can create your own energy goals, while encouraging all household members to work towards them. These figures can then be compared to previous days, weeks, and months and you can track back and see visible changes. 

From testing out new routines such as cutting shower times down, using the tumble dryer less each week, or turning the thermostat down every few days in the middle of winter, your smart meter can guide you to making more energy-efficient choices. 

Develop a Clearer Understanding of Energy Usage in the Home

Though having a smart meter installed doesn’t automatically save you money just by its presence, visually seeing your energy usage in pounds and pence is certainly an incentive to actively reduce it, while considering more energy-saving replacements long-term.

If you’re looking for further ways to save energy in your home, get in touch with the Energy Efficiency team at City Plumbing. Experts in renewable technology, we’re perfectly placed to advise you on the best solutions of low carbon technologies to help you create a greener and more energy-efficient home.