The number of SMETS2 meter installations is nearing half a million, while first generation devices (SMETS1) are expected to have “full functionality” from May, according to the government official overseeing the smart meter rollout.
Oliver Sinclair, head of consumer advocacy and engagement at the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department’s smart meters implementation programme, told a meeting last week of the all party parliamentary group on energy costs in the House of Commons that 450,000 SMETS2 devices have been installed and that the rate “continues to climb”.
He also said that the Data Communication Company’s upgrade of its systems means that SMETS1 devices will have “full functionality” from May this year, enabling customers to continue enjoying smart services if they switch from one supplier to another while those who have lost functionality on their existing meters will regain it.
He said: “The programme is at a key transition point. Things are getting to a more positive place.
“Benefits are not theoretical any more. While there are challenges a significant number of people have had a good experience.
“We know that consumers with SMETS2 have already been switching suppliers and keeping their smart services. The programme has had a long gestation period but we are now seeing some of the benefits.”
Robert Cheesewright, director of corporate affairs at Smart Energy GB, admitted that the smart meter rollout had been held back in some parts of the country by a shortage of installation capacity.
“The ability of suppliers to fulfil that demand doesn’t exist everywhere so if people want a smart meter, they can’t always get them. Technical issues has reduced suppliers’ ability to fulfil demand.”
He said these capacity constraints were illustrated by figures showing that 3.7 million people who had expressed an interest in having a smart meter have not yet had one installed while one million have never heard back after being told they are on a waiting list.
But Cheesewright said that of those who have had a SMETS1 installed, which makes up the vast majority of the approximately 13 million smart meters that have been fitted, 11 out of 12 are still working in smart mode.
“For people with first generation smart meters that has been sub-optimal customer experience, which has had a big negative effect on some people’s lives and reduced confidence in the programme, but fundamentally people who have smart service use and value them.”
And the recent setbacks to the nuclear new build programme, which would increase the UK’s reliance on inherently variable renewable energy generation, meant the need for a smart grid system had increased, he said:
“It’s not an option, it’s non-negotiable. The journey is hard but the destination is worthwhile and essential.”
Dhara Vyas, head of future energy services at Citizens Advice, called for the deadline for the smart meter programme rollout to be extended to 2023 in order to allow “more time and space to properly engage with customers.”
Last month, the DCC revealed that 400,000 second generation devices are now operational, up from the 250,000 meter milestone reached at the beginning of the year.