Smart meters installed before 3 November 2022 default to sending readings once a day, while meters installed on or after that date, or where the household has switched supplier or changed contract since, default to sending readings every half hour. The distinction is set out in Which?'s guidance on how often smart meters send readings, which states the rule in terms of the installation date and any subsequent change of supplier or contract1.
The two default positions differ in what a household can ask for. A meter installed before 3 November 2022, with no supplier switch or contract change since, sends daily readings, and the frequency can be increased to half-hourly or reduced to monthly. A meter installed since that date, or one affected by a switch or contract change, sends half-hourly readings by default, and the frequency can be reduced to daily but not to monthly1.
| Meter status | Default reading frequency | What can be changed |
|---|---|---|
| Installed before 3 November 2022, no switch or contract change since | Daily | Increase to half-hourly, or opt out to monthly |
| Installed since 3 November 2022, or switched supplier or changed contract since | Half-hourly | Decrease to daily, but not monthly |
Changes are made by contacting the energy supplier, and in some cases a household can make the change itself in an app or online account1. Which? also states that data sent by a smart meter is used by the supplier to bill the household and by the network operator to carry out essential tasks, and that it cannot be shared with anyone else or used for marketing without permission1. Smart meters do not store or transmit personal information that could identify the household, such as name, address or bank details, according to the same guidance1.
"If it was installed since 3 November 2022, or you have switched supplier or changed contract since, your smart meter sends readings every half hour by default. You can decrease this to daily (but not monthly)."
Reading frequency feeds into what a household can see. Which? notes that some supplier apps and online accounts show graphs of gas and electricity use in each half hour, often at a day's delay, while Utilita's app updates balance in real time and Octopus Energy's Home Mini device updates data in its app and online account every 5-15 seconds1. Third-party apps can access smart meter data with permission, including Ivie, Loop and UTrack1. The guidance also states that a household should be offered a smart meter monitor at installation, and is entitled to one free of charge up to 12 months after the meter was installed1.
Why it matters for households
Reading frequency determines how much detail a household can see about its own consumption, and therefore how far it can match use to times of day. Half-hourly data supports the kind of insight that shows when electricity is used most, which is the information behind time-of-use tariffs and energy-saving events where a household is rewarded for cutting use at particular times1. Daily or monthly readings give a coarser picture, useful for checking a bill but not for identifying which appliances drive a peak.
The default also affects how much data leaves the home without any active choice. A household on the half-hourly default that wants less granularity has to ask for daily readings, and cannot go below that; a household on the daily default can move in either direction1. Consent rules sit alongside this: data cannot be shared beyond the supplier and network operator, or used for marketing, without permission1. For a home weighing its own energy independence, the practical question is how much of its consumption pattern is visible to it, and to others, and at what interval. The rules on supplier obligations are set out in smart meter rules and supplier obligations, and the wider move of meters to half-hourly settlement is covered in when UK electricity meters move to half-hourly settlement.
What happens next
No dated next steps are reported in the guidance. Which? directs households to contact their supplier to change meter reading frequency, noting that some suppliers allow the change to be made in an app or online account1.
Sources1 cited
- How to use your smart meter reading data - Which?, which.co.uk