Independent firms are concerned that the problem, coupled with a shortage of meter fitters in the industry, is putting them at a disadvantage over the big six energy suppliers.
“Working with the big six is no doubt a draw for some installers. When the smart metering work is complete, they can change skills and move to another department within the company,” said GMB union national secretary for commercial services Gary Smith.
Utility Week understands that given their small customer base, some independent suppliers may struggle with the estimated £16,000 required to train each installer. There is also the risk of installers being enticed away before the training costs have been recovered.
Ovo Energy managing director of In Home Technology Mel Gander confirmed that they are seeing “bottlenecks” in installer capacity.
“Naturally that’s going to affect smaller suppliers more acutely and we’re not able to roll out for our customers as fast as we’d like as a result,” she said.
Gander added that the full scale of what is required on the ground to make it possible has not been “fully appreciated” yet.
Energy suppliers are expected to deploy 53 million meters across UK between by 2020, working to tight schedules and keeping customer inconvenience to a minimum. The mass rollout is expected to begin in autumn 2015 and is predicted to cost the taxpayer £10.9 billion.
EU Skills client manager Ian Moss said: “Some people do prefer larger companies because the prospect for longer term employment within the company can be better, whereas others are taking advantage of the agility and flexibility of smaller organisations.”
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) said: “While an in-house resource may not be feasible for all smaller suppliers, a number of routes are available for them to secure the smart meter installers they require from third parties.”
It added that an effective market for smart meter installers has begun to emerge, and will continue to develop, enabling all suppliers to meet their installation requirements in a “cost effective manner”.
Energy UK added that as plans become more certain over the coming months, it would expect the market to “respond and address” these concerns. “This should ensure customers can access smart benefits and innovations in a timely and economic manner,” it said.