Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the average cost of energy bills was for people (a) with and (b) without smart meters in the latest period for which data is available; and what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of households with smart meters.

Recent independent evaluation showed that households with smart meters use less energy (equivalent to a cost saving of approximately £40 for the typical household in 2023) on average annually than those with analogue meters. Smart meters also unlock time-of-use tariffs, enabling customers to save money by using energy when demand is low, or when excess clean electricity is available.

To drive progress on the rollout, the Government has set a Targets Framework which sets energy suppliers binding minimum annual smart meter installation targets, alongside requirements for energy suppliers to operate them in smart mode, which are enforced by Ofgem.