Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of an increase in the number of SMETS1 meters installed on consumers' ability to switch energy suppliers.

The roll-out of SMETS 1 meters is enabling consumers to take control of their energy use save money and be accurately billed, as suppliers trial, test and optimise their approaches to smart meter roll-out prior to the main phase of the programme commencing next year.

SMETS1 meters will not affect consumers’ ability to switch energy suppliers, although consumers with such meters may temporarily lose smart functionality if they choose to switch to a supplier not yet offering smart services. Ofgem has introduced rules designed to help domestic consumers understand if the smart services they are receiving will be maintained when they switch supplier:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/41868/smart-meters-effective-switching.pdf.

The rules include a requirement that a supplier installing a SMETS1 or smart-type meter must inform the customer that they may lose meter functionality on change of supplier.