‘It’s a joke’ say energy customers waiting over a YEAR for smart meters despite half a million facing being cut off
HOUSEHOLDS are having to wait up to a year to get a smart meter appointment as suppliers struggle with surging demand and a shortage of qualified staff.
An investigation by The Sun has found a host of major energy suppliers have a lack of appointments in some areas, while others can’t tell customers when they will be available.
Smart meters allow customers to track their energy usage, helping them to identify areas where they are overspending and potentially cut their bills.
In theory, they should also ensure energy bills are accurate as they send up-to-date meter readings to suppliers automatically.
The government has been mandating that suppliers must roll out smart meters across the country and now requires them to meet annual installation targets.
Over the past five years, smart meter installation has increased by 114%, with around 37million meters fitted in total.
In 2012, just 1% of households had a smart meter, rising to 11% in 2016 and 19% in 2017. By 2019, this had almost doubled again to 37%.
But the rollout appears to have ground to a halt recently, with customers unable to get installations booked in.
In 2024, a total of 2.37million smart meters were installed, taking the total number of households with smart meters to 61%.
This may sound a lot, but it was the lowest number installed since the pandemic and an increase of just 2.3% on the previous year.
And figures published by energy suppliers online show many missed their target installations last year, in some cases by huge numbers.
For example, British Gas had an installation target of 1,192,991 for 2024, but only installed a total of 713,897. Most of the shortfall was in gas meters, with 365,960 installed against a target of 837,383.
And E.On Next installed 602,223 smart meters in 2024 – over 70,000 less than its target of 672,752.
Forums online are now flooded with energy customers complaining about being unable to secure appointments.
One E.On customer said they have been trying to get an appointment for more than 10 months.
Meanwhile, an Octopus Energy customer said staff had been unable to give them any kind of time frame for when appointments might become available.
The customer, from near Oxford, said: “I’ve asked for a smart meter installation, but they are unable to give me an appointment, or even tell me what sort of time scale the wait is – I just get told that they will be in touch when appointments are available.”
And a Scottish Power customer said he requested a smart meter and was told the firm does not install them in his area.
Here, we take a look at what is causing the scarcity of appointments and what customers can do if they’re struggling to get a slot.
Surge in smart meter requests
Experts say the recent shortage in smart meter appointments has partly been caused by a surge in requests due to the impending switch off of Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) meters in June this year.
Around 530,000 households still rely on these meters, which offer cheaper electricity rates during certain hours, according to the latest figures from Energy UK.
But these meters will stop working from June this year, and all of those customers will need to have their smart meters upgraded.
However, industry experts say the main issue affecting appointment numbers is that the number of qualified engineers is struggling to keep up with this rising demand.
This has been part of the reason for suppliers failing to hit their installation targets, they added.
Maximilian Schwerdtfeger, sustainability expert at The Eco Experts, explained: “The fact that smart meter appointments are running low is down to a lack of installer capacity, which is mainly due to a skills shortage.
“In other words, the smart meter roll out is being held back because energy suppliers cannot afford to hire or train enough installers to meet demand.
“This is particularly the case in rural areas, as it costs suppliers to redeploy their engineers across the country.”
When The Sun spoke with major suppliers, several confirmed they are receiving high demand for appointments.
An Octopus Energy spokesperson said it installed 78,000 smart meters every month in 2024 and that demand remains as high this year.
“To keep up with this demand, we’ve had to invest heavily into our army of engineers,” they said.
“Last year, we grew our smart meter engineering force by 75% from 800 to 1400 and we expect that to continue to grow rapidly.
“Wait times for appointments vary depending on region, but the majority of our customers can book a job in the next four weeks.”
The firm says RTS customers will be prioritised for appointments.
A spokesperson for E.On said the firm has “sufficiently planned in advance” to ensure it has enough technicians this year and the firm says it is encouraging RTS customers to book appointments.
British Gas, EDF, Ovo, Utilita and Scottish Power did not respond to requests for comment.
'I call EDF every day but there are never any slots'
EDF customer Elaine Sloman has an RTS meter and has been trying to book a smart meter appointment for months.
But the 79-year-old retiree, from near Hull, said she keeps being told there are no appointments due to a shortage of engineers.
“I phoned EDF’s customer service for them to book me in, but they said there are no appointments as there are not enough engineer staff,” she said.
“It’s a joke – every day I try to book, but there is no priority for people with old RTS meters, so my meter is just going to switch off and I’ll be left behind.”
How to increase your chances of getting an appointment
It’s a good idea to regularly check in with your supplier to see if they have released new slots, and ask what date they release slots on.
For example, Octopus Energy states that it releases new slots on a Monday – and you need to get online early to secure a space.
You can also register your interest with most suppliers and get notified when slots became available.
You will need to be a customer of the supplier as you need to log into your account to secure a space.
In the meantime, there are other ways you can keep tabs on your energy usage and keep costs down.
Mr Schwerdtfeger said: “For anyone who wants a smart meter but can’t get an appointment, remember that having one won’t necessarily bring down your energy bills, but rather they make it easier to track how much you’re using.
“Without one, the best way to make sure you’re using less energy is to make your home more energy efficient, such as by installing loft insulation or draught-proofing your doors and windows.”
A roll of draught insulation tape costs around £5, or you can get a professional in for around £250, but it could save you £40 a year.
It costs around £900 to insulate a semi-detached home with 270mm of loft insulation, according to the Energy Saving Trust, but saves around £230 a year.
4 ways to keep your energy bills low
Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips.
1. Turn your heating down by one degree
You probably won’t even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70.
2. Switch appliances and lights off
It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills
3. Install a smart meter
Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used.
4. Consider switching energy supplier
No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you’ve let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven’t browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.