The first three smart meter Guaranteed Standards of Performance (GSOPs) came into force in February 2026, according to Smart DCC, the body that runs the smart metering communications network. The three standards cover installation timeliness, installation quality and issue resolution1.
Smart DCC said the standards provide "further confidence and clarity on the service consumers should expect of getting and using a smart meter"1. In parallel, the government has confirmed its response to a consultation on a new smart meter target framework, including a new 90-day obligation for suppliers to resolve issues with non-communicating smart meters, and completion of the rollout by the end of 20301.
"In February, the first three new smart meter Guaranteed Standards of Performance (GSOPs) - covering smart meter installation timeliness, installation quality and issue resolution, came into force"
Smart DCC also said a new Smart Metering Policy Framework Post 2025 was laid before parliament in early March week1. The source does not give a specific date for that laying.
On the installed base, Smart DCC said more than 37 million smart meters are now installed in over 22 million homes and small businesses across Britain, and that combined with advanced meters this represents 70 per cent of all meters according to the most recent DESNZ statistics1. It said 550k 4G Communications Hubs are now installed, and that a Virtual Wide Area Network solution is due for launch later this year to support homes previously unable to connect to the Wide Area Network1.
On faults, Smart DCC said the volume of non-communicating meters has fallen from 2.5 per cent to 2.1 per cent across the growing estate over the past year1. It said a decision on GSOP 4, covering the resolution of non-communicating meters, is expected later this year1. The source does not set out the compensation amounts attached to the three standards in force, or the exact dates within February on which each took effect.
| Measure | Status as reported |
|---|---|
| GSOPs 1 to 3: installation timeliness, installation quality, issue resolution | In force from February 20261 |
| GSOP 4: resolving non-communicating meters | Decision expected later this year1 |
| Supplier obligation on non-communicating meters | 90 days to resolve, confirmed in government consultation response1 |
| Rollout completion | End of 20301 |
| Non-communicating meters | Down from 2.5% to 2.1% over the past year1 |
Why it matters for households
The smart meter rules and supplier obligations now carry enforceable standards on how quickly an installation is arranged, how well it is carried out and how promptly problems are dealt with. For a household, that shifts some of the risk of a poor installation or a meter that stops communicating onto the supplier, rather than leaving the household to chase a fix. The guaranteed standards are the mechanism through which that expectation is set.
A meter that does not communicate can affect prepayment credit checks and access to consumption data through a consumer access device, so the speed of resolution has a direct bearing on how much a household can see and control its own usage. The reported fall in non-communicating meters from 2.5 per cent to 2.1 per cent is a measure of how common that problem is across the estate1.
The 90-day obligation and the 2030 completion date sit within the wider smart meter rollout, which determines when households without a meter are offered one.
What happens next
A decision on GSOP 4, covering non-communicating meters, is expected later this year1. The Virtual Wide Area Network solution is due for launch later this year1. The Smart Metering Policy Framework Post 2025 was laid before parliament in early March week1.