Monitoring the smart meter roll-out - GfK survey results

Citizens Advice commissioned ad hoc survey questions concerning smart meters, to 8,275 people as part of the GfK Energy Market Monitor survey. (The Energy Market Monitor has now been replaced by Energy360 survey. More details on the survey are available from shaun.smith@gfk.com). The majority of respondents found smart meters appealing, regardless of whether they had pre-existing knowledge about them.

• Smart meters were most appealing to those with prepayment meters and, of those who had smart meters already, smart prepayment customers were the most satisfied with the additional benefits.

As well as those positive results, the survey also highlighted a number of key issues, which are outlined below.

Key issues

• Those on the lowest incomes or ‘preferred not to say’ found smart meters the least appealing and if they already had a smart meter installed, were the most dissatisfied.

• Lack of awareness of the smart meter roll out peaked for those aged 35-44. Age was a factor in those who found smart meters appealing, with the level of appeal decreasing with age. Those aged 65+ were therefore most likely to find smart meters unappealing and if a smart meter had been installed already, least likely to be satisfied.

• Awareness of smart meters increased with energy affordability. Those who self-identified as ‘always struggling to pay their energy bills’ were least likely to know anything or much about smart meters.