Smart Energy GB has reported that more than 3,076,000 safety issues unrelated to smart metering were identified by installers during smart meter installations in Great Britain between the start of 2017 and the end of December 20251. The figure covers faults found during a free visual safety check carried out as part of the visit, and the body says these issues would not have been picked up otherwise1.
The checks look at both the electricity and gas supply. According to Smart Energy GB, installers are "looking for potential problems with your electricity and gas, such as defective wiring, broken fuses or even faulty boilers"1. The organisation describes the installation visit as including a safety check on the gas supply to the home, and characterises the process as being "like getting an MOT for your home"1.
"From the start of 2017 to the end of December 2025, over 3,076,000 safety issues unrelated to smart metering were identified by installers as part of a free visual safety check, helping to protect households across Great Britain."
Smart Energy GB states that these faults "could have been potentially life-threatening" and might not have been found without the installer visit1. It adds that people "shouldn't miss out on this important safety check"1. The same page says more than 22 million smart meters have been installed so far, and that there have been "very few instances where any issues have occurred", with each case taken seriously and lessons identified and learned to improve safety1.
The page does not break the 3,076,000 figure down by nation, by year, by fault type or by whether the issue was found on the gas or electricity side, and no such breakdown has been reported1. It also does not say how many of the identified issues required follow-up work, or what proportion of installations produced a finding1. The page was last updated on 1 April 20261.
Why it matters for households
A smart meter installation is a visit to the point where the home connects to the gas and electricity networks, and the installer is physically present at the meter and surrounding wiring. The reported figure indicates that this visit has, since 2017, regularly surfaced defects in the home's supply arrangements that were not the reason for the appointment1. For a household, that means the condition of the connection point and its associated wiring and fuses is something that can be observed during a routine meter change, rather than only during a separate inspection.
The number also speaks to the wider question of what a meter change involves. Households weighing up a smart meter installation may want to know what the visit covers beyond the meter itself, including the safety check described here1. Questions about the supply being interrupted during the work are covered in the site's guide to whether power is lost during a smart meter installation, and the general smart meters hub sets out how the system fits together.
What happens next
No further dated steps are set out in the announcement. Smart Energy GB directs readers to its FAQ page and to information on the installation process, and says households can contact their energy supplier to request an installation1.
Sources1 cited
- Making your home safer | Smart Energy GB, smartenergygb.org