The UK government has finally done what households have been demanding for years: forced energy suppliers to fix faulty smart meters within a set timetable. From this month, suppliers must repair or replace any non-working smart meter within 30 days of being notified. Miss that deadline and they pay you £30 per missed appointment. It is a small victory in a long-running war against shoddy service.
As reported by GOV.UK, the new rules cover both first-generation (SMETS1) and second-generation (SMETS2) smart meters. The change follows years of complaints from households whose meters went ‘dumb’, losing the ability to send automatic readings, leaving them stuck on estimated bills.
Why a working smart meter matters for your wallet
Ofgem data shows roughly 3 million smart meters in Great Britain are not operating in smart mode. That is 3 million households missing out on the biggest benefit: accurate billing and access to time-of-use tariffs. A typical 3-bed semi on a smart tariff can save £100–£200 a year by shifting washing machine or EV charging to off-peak hours. Without a working meter, those tariffs are unavailable.
The Energy Saving Trust notes that smart meters also underpin the government’s net-zero plans. Without them, heat pumps and solar panels cannot communicate with the grid to export surplus power. A dead smart meter blocks participation in the Smart Export Guarantee, which pays households up to 15p per kWh for solar electricity sent to the grid. This is more than an annoyance.
What the new rules actually require
Suppliers must now:
- Offer an appointment within 30 days of a fault report.
- Fix the meter at the appointment, or schedule a follow-up within 10 working days.
- Pay £30 automatically if they miss the deadline, no need to claim.
- Provide a working smart meter to any household that requests one, within the same timeframe.
The catch: the rules apply only to meters installed under the national rollout. If you have a pre-2016 ‘dumb’ meter, you are not covered. You must request a smart upgrade, which suppliers are now required to offer within 30 days. The government expects the new regime to reduce the number of non-functioning smart meters by 80% within two years.
How this affects your EPC rating and home upgrades
A smart meter does not directly improve your Energy Performance Certificate rating, the EPC is based on the building’s fabric and heating system. But it provides the real-time data you need to make informed decisions. Without accurate usage figures, you cannot size a heat pump correctly, nor can you calculate payback periods for solar panels. A working smart meter is the prerequisite for any serious eco-home upgrade.
If your current meter is faulty, the new rules give you use. Call your supplier, cite the legislation, and demand a fix within 30 days. If they fail, you get £30. That is not a windfall, but it signals a shift: the regulator is finally treating smart meter reliability as a consumer right, not a supplier’s optional extra.
What you should do now
Check whether your smart meter is working. Look at the in-home display, if it shows no data or says ‘waiting for signal’, your meter may be in ‘dumb’ mode. Call your supplier and request a repair. If they quote a wait longer than 30 days, remind them of the new rules. For households on standard variable tariffs, a working smart meter is the first step to cutting your energy bill by 10–20% through smarter usage. Do not wait. The clock starts ticking the day you report the fault.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The compensation rules apply only to faults reported after the new regulations came into force. You cannot claim for historical problems. But once you report a fault, the 30-day clock starts and the £30 per missed appointment applies.
Yes. The rules cover all smart meters, including prepayment models. If your prepayment smart meter stops working, you have the same right to a repair within 30 days and the same £30 compensation if the supplier misses the deadline.
