The binding annual smart meter installation targets that applied to energy suppliers ran from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2025 and have now concluded, Ofgem has confirmed. Under the four-year obligation, suppliers were required to meet annual targets for installing smart and advanced meters, and to publish both their target and their performance against it on their own websites1.
Ofgem describes the end of the framework as a transition point for the wider programme. The government has published its decision on the future framework for smart meter installations and the supplier obligation, Ofgem states, though the detail of that decision is not set out on the targets page1.
"The conclusion of binding annual installation targets framework marks transition to a new phase in smart meter programme."
The regulator also points to the outcome of its statutory consultation on smart meter guaranteed standards of performance, which covers consumer protections and the establishment of minimum service standards1. No figures for national installation totals, target achievement rates or supplier-by-supplier performance are given on the page; those sit in each supplier's own published reporting, which Ofgem links to1.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Framework period | 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2025 |
| Obligation | Binding annual targets for installing smart and advanced meters |
| Supplier duty | Publish annual target and performance against it |
| Status | Concluded |
| Next framework | Government decision published; detail not given on this page |
Why it matters for households
The targets were an obligation on suppliers, not on households, so their conclusion does not change what a meter does in a home or what a bill says. What it changes is the pressure behind the installation programme: for four years suppliers had a binding annual number to hit, and that pressure has now ended while a replacement framework takes effect1.
For a household, the practical questions around smart metering stay the same. Whether a property has a smart meter, whether it is working in smart mode, and whether readings are being used for billing rather than estimates are all matters that sit with the supplier and the meter itself. The smart meter rollout page sets out progress and targets, and what happens on the day covers the visit itself, including the question of whether power is lost during an installation.
Energy independence at home rests on having accurate data about consumption and, where a household chooses, the ability to shift usage. That depends on access to the meter's data, through an in-home display or a consumer access device, and on consent for how that data is used, covered under the consumer consent solution. Households on prepayment arrangements have separate considerations, including checking credit on a smart prepayment meter and how smart meters compare with traditional prepayment meters.
What happens next
The government's decision on the post-2025 framework has been published, according to Ofgem, but the targets page does not set out its contents, the start date of any new obligation, or whether new binding targets will apply1. Ofgem's consultation outcome on guaranteed standards of performance, covering consumer protections and minimum service standards, is the other strand flagged for the period ahead1. No timetable for either has been reported on this page.
Sources1 cited
- Supplier Smart Metering Installation Targets | Ofgem, ofgem.gov.uk