Smart meter installations FELL in 2024 as households maintain out on new tech
The number of smart meter installations slumped last year despite energy suppliers ramping up efforts to move households onto them.
There were 3million smart and advanced meters installed in 2024, a 15 per cent fall from 2023, new figures from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero show.
By the end of 2024, 38million smart meters were in homes and small businesses meaning approximately 66 per cent of all households and small businesses have a smart meter.
Data shows 6 per cent of households with a smart meter have it in ‘dumb mode’ which means it does not send readings to the supplier.
Energy suppliers have ramped up efforts to install new meters in households to meet the Government target of installing the gadgets in 80 per cent of households by this year.
The figures show installations declined significantly in the first half of the year, before stabilising in the second half.
It suggests some households are still holding out for as long as possible over concerns that the meters do not provide accurate readings and prefer to take the readings themselves.
Smart meters are not compulsory and it is up to you whether you get one installed.
You will likely be offered one by your supplier if you don’t already have one, but you are well within your right to refuse.
If you do refuse, remember that you won’t have access to all energy tariffs, which means you might end up paying more for your energy than you otherwise could.
However, some suppliers insist that the traditional meters are nearing the end of their life and will cease to work to convince households to move to smart meters.
Similarly, the end of the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) in June means that more households will be forced onto smart meters.
This is Money revealed in January that there were still hundreds of thousands of households would have to use a smart meter or face losing their heating and hot water supply.
