Smart meters: What our expert panel has to say

THE technology in our homes is changing all the time – with smart meters now replacing old-fashioned analogue gas and electricity meters. 

But you may have read mixed reports regarding the safety of smart energy meters and what it means in terms of your security. 

Or perhaps you are thinking of having a smart meter installed in your home, but are worried about the installation process and whether or not they will actually work. 

Today, we are here to help. We have selected a panel of experts from the fields of technology, cybersecurity, safety and energy to answer your questions about this latest and essential innovation for your homes.

Audrey Gallacher, Director of Retail, Energy UK, writes:

“Smart meters can be installed in most homes or flats. There can be issues with signal strength in some properties in the short term, but your supplier will advise if this is the case.

“The industry and Government are working hard to find solutions that will soon allow all households to get the benefits smart meters bring. 

“There are already more than 11 million smart meters operating and they come with an in-home display screen so you can see your actual energy usage in pounds and pence which can help you stay in control of the energy you use – saving you energy and money.”

Jane Lucy, Founder and CEO, Labrador, writes:

“There are lots of different ways to save money with smart meters. Here are our top five: Firstly, you can save money by being more aware of what things cost. With smart meters, you can do this by seeing in near real-time what you’re using, which means you can determine the cost of individual appliances and settings. Some people have reported that this has saved them around £30 per month.

“Another obvious way of saving money is by being billed the correct amount and not accidentally overpaying due to estimated bills and then having to try to reclaim your money from your energy supplier. 

“Additionally, your direct debit is likely to be set at a more accurate amount, which is another way to prevent accidentally paying more money than you should be. 

“Smart meters also make it much easier to engage in switching services. The technology means you are automatically kept on a cheap energy deal, which meets whatever preferences you choose, without you needing to do anything at all.

“Finally, there are certain tariffs on the market that are exclusive to smart meter customers and those who agree to have one installed. These tariffs can save you up to around £110 per year.”

Howard Porter, CEO, British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers’ Association (BEAMA), writes:

“Smart meters are an essential upgrade to Britain’s energy system. For the first time, everyone will be able to see how much energy they have used, and what they have paid for it.

“As well as empowering them to make better, more informed decisions about their energy, smart meters will enable new services and opportunities to make our homes and energy networks more efficient and effective.

“This will save money, reduce carbon emissions and allow everyone to participate in exciting new digital services such as smart control of electric vehicle charging, heating systems and energy storage.”

Martyn Allen, Technical Director, Electrical Safety First, writes:

“Having a smart meter will provide you with detailed information about how you use energy – it can help you make better choices on how to save energy and more importantly save money.

“However, an additional benefit of having a smart meter is that the installer will be able to spot and alert you to safety issues within your electrical installation that you would otherwise be unaware of.

“For example, they can tell you if your fuse box is damaged, cables are worn and if your smart meter is located under the stairs, they will advise you about the dangers of storing combustible material next to your smart meter and electrical equipment.”

Martin Jordan, Chairman, Network Exploitation and Defence (NED) Forum, writes:

“Unlike your home computer, tablet or smartphone, smart meters are not connected to the Internet. Instead, they operate over a closed secure private network.

“This removes the threat posed by hackers and scam artists who actively try and steal your data on a daily basis. Unlike your social media account, smart meters do not hold your life history or personal information.

“Smart meters simply measure how much energy you are using.”

Prof. Kamal Bechkoum, Cybersecurity expert, University of Gloucestershire, writes:

“Systems like smart meters, which are being installed throughout the country, are not connected to the internet and are designed to be part of a secure system which is extremely hard to hack.”

Matt Evans, Executive Director of Smarter UK, Tech UK, writes:

“Smart meters offer us two major benefits. Firstly, research shows that as customers we save money by helping us reduce our energy usage – over eight out of 10 people using a smart meter take at least one step to reduce their energy consumption.

“The second is that smart meters are a building block of a smarter, more flexible grid. The smart grid is necessary to allow us to deploy electric vehicles and more renewables whilst maintaining a stable and cost-effective energy supply.

“Importantly, we can also benefit from more than £5bn in exporting this technology around the world.”

This article was written in partnership with Smart Energy GB for express.co.uk. 

For more information on smart meters, visit smartenergyGB.org