Citizens Advice response to Consultation on the operational transition of smart meters.
Response to Consultation on the operational transition of smart meters. [ 57 kb]
The smart meter roll-out is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects across the energy industry. Citizens Advice remains supportive of the potential benefits smart metering can bring consumers, whilst scrutinising the delivery of the roll-out.
To date most, if not all, smart meters counted towards suppliers’ roll-out targets are first generation SMETS1 meters. SMETS1 meters do not offer the same consumer benefits as forthcoming SMETS2 meters, with significant limitations associated with loss of smart functionality on change of supplier and wider issues around future access to DCC-enabled services.
In our response to the 2015 consultation on the proposed SMETS1 end-date Citizens Advice took the view that the government was offering a particularly generous timeline to suppliers, and suggested that it should be shortened. We also specifically stated that “we would not want the timeline to be extended any further”. Our position remains the same.