Around 29 million smart meters had been fitted to homes in the UK by the end of 2023, according to a consumer guide published in June 2024, which states this represents around 54 per cent of all homes1. The same guide also states that 30 million homes in the UK have a smart meter installed, a figure that does not match its own end of 2023 estimate1.
The guide describes the government aim of most homes having a smart meter installed by 2025, and states there is no legal requirement to have one1. It says smart meters can only be installed by energy suppliers, that the process should take around 90 minutes, and that the meter is provided free by the supplier1. Readings are sent at intervals the householder can usually choose, typically between every 30 minutes and 24 hours1.
On accuracy, the guide states that smart meters are just as accurate as traditional non-smart meters, and that a smart meter incorporates the standing charge into daily, weekly and monthly totals1. It notes that a smart meter will display a reading in the same way as an older meter, but that no manual reading needs to be submitted because this is done automatically1. On renting, it states there is no law preventing renters from asking their supplier to install a smart meter, while advising that a tenancy agreement or landlord should be checked first1.
Later figures from other sources differ. A parliamentary report published in 2025 states that as of the end of March 2025 there were 39 million smart meters in domestic and non-domestic premises across Great Britain, over two-thirds of all meters2. An independent consumer publication states that as of the end of September 2025 nearly 38 million smart meters had been installed in homes, which it gives as 70 per cent of all domestic meters3. The three sets of figures cover different dates and, in the case of the parliamentary report, both domestic and non-domestic premises, so they are not directly comparable.
The parliamentary report sets out the wider programme position. It states that smart metering implementation has been government policy since 2011, when suppliers in England, Scotland and Wales were first required to provide smart meters, and that a four-year Targets Framework introduced on 1 January 2022 sets individual minimum annual installation targets for suppliers2. It puts the total costs of the programme at £12.1 billion and the net present value of the rollout, on a scenario assuming no further meters are installed after the end of 2024, at £2.2 billion2.
"As of the end of 2023, around 29 million smart meters were fitted to homes in the UK."
Why it matters for households
A smart meter changes how a home's energy use is measured and recorded. Instead of a reading taken manually and a bill based on estimates, consumption is recorded automatically and sent to the supplier, which the guide states means billing is based on actual use1. For a household trying to understand what it spends and why, that record is the starting point: it shows use over time rather than a single quarterly figure.
The guide states that smart meters enable time-of-use tariffs, where electricity is charged at different amounts at different times of day1. That links a home's consumption pattern to what it pays, and it is the mechanism behind shifting use away from peak periods. The parliamentary report records that across the winters of 2022/23 and 2023/24, 3,300MWh and 3,700MWh of electricity use respectively was shifted from peak periods through the Demand Flexibility Service, and that between December 2024 and April 2025, 11,900MWh of shiftable demand was procured after the scheme moved to an all year round basis2. Those are system-wide figures, not household ones.
For prepayment households, the guide states that topping up can be done digitally through a supplier's website or app, with the meter showing the balance and deducting spending as it is used1. The parliamentary report states that over 12 million payments were made to smart meters in prepayment mode under the Energy Bills Support Scheme, with the proportion of successful payments over 98 per cent2.
The guide lists potential downsides as well: installation can be delayed by technical issues or the location of existing meters, wireless signal can be poor in some locations such as basements, and some people have concerns about the security and privacy of consumption data1. It states that government agencies and health organisations have said the technology is safe1. Whether a household has a smart meter, and what it can do with the data, is covered in the site's guide to smart meters and energy independence and to smart meters and home energy management.
What happens next
The guide states the government aim was for most homes to have a smart meter by 2025, and that it is unclear whether smart meters will become compulsory1. The parliamentary report states that the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is considering the appropriate policy mechanism to drive the rollout further after the current four-year framework completes2. No date has been reported for that decision.
Sources3 cited
- Smart Meters: The Snugg Guide, snugg.com
- Smart_Metering_2025_Costs_and_Benefits_Report.pdf, data.parliament.uk
- Gas and electricity meters explained - Which?, which.co.uk