Get smart meters#
Smart meters take meter readings every 30 minutes and are an essential part of the UK’s movement to net zero. The readings they provide will help the UK’s planning and reduce the number of power stations we need. They will also help you understand energy use in your building. Some suppliers give access to graphs and statistics based on the data, and others give access to data itself. For the ones that don’t, it should be possible to use a third party app to get it. The data will allow you to spot changes that could signal waste and estimate the cost of energy for room hires. Engineers can combine this data with heating performance data and historical weather data to understand whether your heating is under good control. We expect analysis of this kind of data to become something energy efficiency consultants do in future – if you’re able to give it to them.
First generation smart meters had a bad reputation because they quit being “smart” if you switched suppliers. These are no longer being fitted except where a second generation one won’t work - and even then, the supplier has to ask you first and document why they think it’s worth fitting a smart meter at all.
We’ve given this 3 stars because it’s not enough to just get the data, you also have to use it.