Start saving on energy with smart meters

Can you trust smart meters?

Yes, smart meters are as accurate as traditional gas and electricity meters. And, because they send automated meter readings, you get more accurate bills. If you don’t have smart meters and you don’t submit regular manual meter readings to your supplier – which many of us don’t – you’ll get estimated bills and may be paying more than you need to.

How do smart meters save you money?

Smart meters provide near real time consumption data to your smart energy monitor or in-home display (IHD), so you can monitor how much energy you’re using and take action to reduce your usage and save money on bills. And they send automated meter readings to your supplier, so you’ll only pay for the energy you use and get more accurate bills.

Will my smart meters still work if I move to another energy supplier?

Once you’ve got smart meters, you’ll still be free to switch to a new energy supplier, but not all suppliers support smart meters just yet. If that’s the case, your smart meters will work like traditional ones until your new supplier can support them and you may need to provide manual meter readings. Your new supplier will be able to let you know.

How do I pay my smart meter bill?

You can pay your bills the same way you did before having a smart meter installed. We offer smart meters for all our customers, regardless of how you pay for your energy.

If you have a prepayment meter you can top-up online or by using our app.

How do I know if I can get smart meters fitted in my home?

We’re working to upgrade all our customers to smart meters as soon as possible. Where you live, the type of home you live in, and your existing meter type may mean it takes a little longer for us to get to you. If you’re eligible, we’ll have contacted you. If you would like more information, contact us.

Are smart meters compatible with solar panels?

Yes, the new generation smart meters (SMETS2) are compatible with solar panels. They won’t stop your solar panels working and generating electricity and you’ll be able to tell your energy supplier exactly how many kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity you’re sending to the grid.

Do you remove old meters when installing smart meters?

The engineer will remove your old meter, take a final reading, and install the new smart meter. They’ll also dispose of your old meter.

Do you offer an accessible in-home display?

We’ve worked across the energy industry and with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to develop an accessible in-home display for customers who are blind or partially sighted. To find out more about the accessible in-home display and check if we are able to offer you one, please chat to one of our agents.

If you have an electricity meter that uses Radio Teleswitch (RTS) technology

Due to a national industry change, the BBC service that supports Radio Teleswitch Meters is being phased out and is planned to end on the 30th June 2025. This means that the meters will lose their ability to switch between day and night rates, which will impact  heating and hot water systems.

If you have an electricity meter that switches between peak and off-peak tariff rates, like Economy 7, or it automatically turns your heating or hot water on, you may have a meter that uses RTS technology.

We’re contacting all customers with Radio Teleswitch meters and upgrading them to smart meters so they can still use day and night rates as before.

Find out what’s happening to Radio Teleswitch meters

What are your smart meter targets?

Energy suppliers are targeted by the UK government to install smart meters in at least 74.5% of homes and 69% of small businesses across Britain by the end of 2025 – it includes prepayment meters.

Our smart meter targets for 2024

2024 targets for British Gas is to install 1,192,990 smart meters in customers’ homes and businesses, broken down as follows:

Our smart meter targets for 2023 and how we performed