Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the practicability of switching smart meters for energy (a) supplies and (b) customers.

The Government’s aim is that smart meters installed by one supplier can be operated by another so that consumers can switch energy supplier readily and retain the benefits of their smart metering service. That is why we have established the Data and Communications Company (DCC), and the latest version of the smart metering technical specifications (known as SMETS2), has been established.

Smart meters complying with the first version of the technical specifications (SMETS1) are delivering real benefits to consumers and have helped the industry prepare for the main installation stage of the roll-out. Consumers with these meters are still able to switch supplier. If the new supplier is not able to operate the meter in smart mode, the meter will continue to accurately record energy consumption accurately and can be used in traditional mode, with meter readings taken manually. The meter will not normally need to be replaced. Work is underway to make SMETS1 smart meters interoperable between energy suppliers, through enrolment in to the DCC’s system.