Ofgem has decided to implement three new Guaranteed Standards of Performance for smart metering, with the Statutory Instrument signed on 27 January 2026 and consumer compensation commencing from 23 February 20261. The decision, published on 30 January 2026, follows a consultation in March 2025 and a statutory consultation in August 20251. Ofgem first signalled the standards in its Consumer Confidence document on 10 September 20241.
The three standards cover installation appointment availability, failed installations and the investigation of smart meter operational issues1. Under GSOP 1, a supplier must offer a first time smart meter installation appointment within six weeks of a request, or the consumer receives compensation1. The regulation was amended to allow a 60-working day, or twelve-week, timeframe for first time appointments for microbusiness consumers1. GSOP 2 provides compensation where an installation fails due to a fault within the supplier's control, and applies to all installation appointments, whether first time or a replacement1. GSOP 3 requires a supplier to complete an initial assessment, take an appropriate action and offer to update the consumer within five working days of a reported problem, or pay compensation1. A new standalone regulation 5A covers investigation of smart meters not operating as intended, including meters in prepayment mode1.
A fourth proposed standard, GSOP 4, covering smart meters not operating in smart mode for over 90 days, has not been decided1. Ofgem said it intends to take forward further work on GSOP 4 with a view to implementing it later in 2026, subject to resolving accountability, technical and regulatory issues1.
"We have decided to implement GSOPs 1-3, with the Statutory Instrument signed on 27 January 2026, which brings the Statutory Instrument into legislation."
| Standard | Requirement | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| GSOP 1 | Appointment offered within six weeks of request (twelve weeks for microbusiness first time appointments) | First time smart meter installations |
| GSOP 2 | Compensation if installation fails due to a fault within the supplier's control | All installation appointments |
| GSOP 3 | Initial assessment, appropriate action and offer to update within five working days | Reported smart meter operational issues |
| GSOP 4 | Not decided | Smart meters not in smart mode for over 90 days |
Ofgem said 70% of meters in Great Britain were smart or advanced as of the end of September 2025, with 91.7% operating in smart mode1. The remaining 8.3% operate in traditional mode, which Ofgem said may limit access to cheaper time of use tariffs or convenient top ups for prepayment customers1. Ofgem also said it had made clear that in-home display related issues do not apply to microbusiness consumers, and that the standards should only incorporate SMETS compliant meters as set out in the SEC1.
Why it matters for households
The standards create an automatic compensation route where a supplier misses a defined service level, rather than leaving households to complain. For a home waiting on a first smart meter, the six-week appointment requirement sets a clock on the supplier. For a home whose meter has stopped working as intended, the five-working-day assessment requirement sets a clock on the response. The rules sit alongside existing smart meter rules and supplier obligations and the wider Ofgem framework.
The unresolved GSOP 4 is the part that touches smart functionality directly. A meter that has lost smart mode can still supply electricity or gas, but it may not support time of use tariffs or remote prepayment top ups. Ofgem has not set a compensation date for that scenario. Households wanting their own consumption data can read about consumer access devices, and the technical background sits in smart meter standards and accuracy.
What happens next
Ofgem said it will monitor performance against the new standards from Q2 2026 and review them in Q1 20271. Further work on GSOP 4 is intended later in 2026, subject to resolving the issues raised in the statutory consultation1. Ofgem also said Ministers have not yet confirmed the Department's final position on post 2025 smart meter policy, which included a proposal on the operation of smart meters1.