ENERGY suppliers are letting down millions of households with broken smart meters despite strict rules which say they must fix them.
Around 36million households have a smart meter but one in ten of them do not work, official figures reveal.
These smart meters are stuck in “dumb mode”, which means they cannot send automatic readings to energy providers and households cannot track their usage.
Smart meters are supposed to allow households to see how much energy they are using in real-time, which can help them save money on their bills.
But shocking figures from industry regulator Ofgem reveal the proportion of smart meters which do not work for every energy supplier.
British Gas has the highest proportion of disconnected smart meters of any major supplier.
A worrying 16.3% of smart meters used by the supplier are operating in “dumb mode”.
Close behind is Scottish Power, where 14.5% of smart meters are disconnected.
At EDF 12.1% of smart meters do not work, while 11.5% are in dumb mode at Utility Warehouse.
In comparison, E has the lowest share at 2.6%, which puts it ahead of Ovo (5.6%) and Utilita (5.8%).
Worryingly, 2.6 million households with a smart meter in “dumb mode” or with a broken display unit have contacted their supplier to get it fixed.
But 1.4 million households have been made to wait more than six months for it to be repaired, energy expert Uswitch reveals.
Ben Gallizzi, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Millions of customers are not benefitting from the smart technology because their meter has gone dumb and stopped communicating with their provider.
“It’s vitally important that the industry takes urgent action to sort out all the disconnected smart meters, to give those customers back the benefits.”
Meanwhile, staggering figures from Citizens Advice reveal that thousands of customers have been sent inaccurate energy bills after switching to a smart meter.
Nearly half of the 52,000 customers who got in touch to ask for help with an estimated or inaccurate bill had a smart meter.
The advice service also found that 20% of people with smart meters still have to provide regular meter readings.
It is also calling on Ofgem to strengthen protections for consumers.
Among its requests is a limit on how far back energy providers can bill customers.
It wants suppliers to only be able to back-bill customers with a smart meter by up to six months.
This would give suppliers an incentive to provide more prompt and accurate bills.
There are several reasons why a smart meter may go dumb.
If you were one of the first people to get a smart meter then it may have stopped working because the technology has aged.
Some first-generation smart meters do not allow customers to change energy supplier without losing the ability to send automatic meter readings.
This means customers have to provide manual readings when they change provider.
If you have a more recent model then it could be that your new supplier has not yet connected to your meter.
First generation smart meters often use different software than more recent models.
This means that sometimes they break as the software needs updating.
For more recent models it could be that the environment or location of your smart meter is causing problems.
This could mean that your smart meter cannot connect to the Wider Area Network, which is how it sends readings to your supplier.
If you think your smart meter is not working then check your latest statement from your energy provider or use its app.
A smart meter reading will be marked as “smart” or with an “s”.
An “e” or “estimated” shows that your supplier has not had a reading from your smart meter.
If your bill shows that your smart meter is not sending readings to your energy supplier then check how often it is supposed to do so.
Setting your smart meter to send more regular readings should make your bills more accurate.
If you think your smart meter is not connecting to your provider’s network properly then get in touch with your supplier.
Under Ofgem rules, suppliers must do all they can to ensure that smart meters automatically send them your gas and electricity meter readings.
If your smart meter is not sending readings then you can submit them manually to make sure that your bills are accurate.
Or if your smart meter monitor is broken and you have had it for less than 12 months then your supplier should fix it or replace it for free.
After this point, it’s up to your supplier whether they repair it or charge you for a new one.
EDF and E.ON charge customers £49.99 plus delivery to replace a broken smart meter.
Meanwhile, at Utilita it costs £39.99.
If you get a new monitor your supplier should make sure that it works and is connected to your smart meter in a “timely manner”.
If a smart meter monitor will not work in your home then you should be able to check your usage using your supplier’s app or through your online account.
Some early smart meters stopped working after customers changed energy supplier.
If this happens to you then contact your new energy supplier and ask it to investigate.
Send meter readings to your new supplier to make sure you are being charged correctly.
There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by.
If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter.
This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period.
If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don’t think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal.
Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills.
But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances.
For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000.
British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund.
You don’t need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund.
EDF, E.ON, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too.
Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).
The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill.
Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you’re struggling.
Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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