We are constantly being emailed by our energy supplier to have a smart meter installed.
It says it is a ‘legal requirement’ as our meter is at the end of its life.
Do we have to comply? If we don’t can our energy firm turn our power off?
Smart meters were introduced in 2011 as a way of helping households stay in control of their energy bills and, in turn, keep bills down.
They are installed in homes to replace more traditional meters, including prepayment key meters. Suppliers say they provide more accurate and up-to-date readings, so customers only pay for the energy they have used.
An Economy 7 electricity tariff, which comes with an Economy 7 meter, gives you a cheaper electricity rate for seven hours at night, off peak, and a higher one in the day.
It means you pay less for your energy use at night – usually between midnight and 7am – and more for energy used during the day.
Suppliers will generally contact households to tell them when they need such a meter installed, but you can also request one.
Suppliers can also provide an in-home display which will tell you your energy usage in pounds and pence. This data is also available online or on an app, if your supplier has one.
However there have been issues with the smart meter rollout. Some readers have told This is Money that their bills do not accurately reflect their energy usage.