Savings with smart meters

In the UK, any property owner as well as tenant can install smart electricity meters, which are becoming increasingly popular in the country.

What is a smart meter?

A smart meter is a small device with a display that shows the energy consumption in real time. Not only are the consumption figures displayed on the screen, but their value is also automatically converted into a payment amount. You can track how much it will cost, for example, to run a washing machine or heat a kettle. This will help you to think about the regularity of use of electrical appliances and make adjustments to the frequency of their use.

The right to install a smart meter in the UK

When a person owns a residential property, the choice to install a meter or not becomes entirely hisown decision. The installation is not compulsory, but it is recommended – it is in the interest of the owners themselves.

When people rent a flat or house, nothing changes significantly and they can also decide to install a smart meter in their rented accommodation. This initiative is encouraged by the government: for example, Ofgem, the UK’s gas and electricity regulator, clarifies that landlords may not prevent the installation of a smart meter unless there are objective reasons. However, tenants should notify landlords of their plans in advance, as tenancy agreements most often contain mandatory notification clauses.

Who installs a smart meter in the UK?

Only professionals from the energy supplier should install the meters. Residents apply to the company, the master installs the device and instructs them on how to use it.

Please note that there is no additional financial cost to replace an electricity meter in the beginning. Standard and prepayment meters can be replaced with smart meters, without charging residents any additional money. This is a bonus, encouraging people to choose to make personal savings and conserve energy resources, which is so important for the environment.

List of benefits when replacing electric meters

Installing a smart meter is beneficial to both landlords and tenants.

For those who rent out properties, it is important that there are no problems, especially in terms of supplier readings and tenants paying for utilities. Smart meters will help landlords, as several features will save them from potential problems:

• The automated data transmission system allows you not to worry about whether the readings have been submitted on time, and also provides data for the accurate generation of the bill for payment;
• There is an opportunity to choose the most suitable type of payment for electricity – by means of prepayment or payment after making meter readings;
• the absolute accuracy of the consumption data displayed online allows you to easily calculate how much money tenants who move out owe and prescribe a starting figure for re-letting;
• During the absence of occupants, it is possible to monitor electricity consumption and switch off unnecessary appliances intime;
• properties with a smart meter already installed are more attractive to tenants.

Smart Energy GB conducted a survey of tenants in the UK and 84% of those who responded said they would benefit from installing a smart meter. After all, if you are renting a property to live in, then:

• The smart meter readings can be used to implement a number of measures to reduce electricity consumption, such as switching on the most powerful appliances during low-load hours, when the cost per kilowatt is much lower compared to peak hours;
• In the UK market, there are a number of firms supplying energy services, each offering a range of different tariffs. If you calculate these against your spending plan, you can choose the best tariff and pay less.

A few tips for saving electricity in the UK

Installing a smart electricity meter in the UK is just the first step in becoming more energy efficient. There are a few ways to spend electricity more wisely and thereby reduce your household budget, freeing up money for more enjoyable things.

The Energy Saving Trust, a specialist organisation dedicated to reducing energy consumption, has produced and published a series of tips for people in England, Scotland and Wales. Following these tips does not require major changes in everyone’s life and does not require major home improvements, but it does save money on utilities. It is important to have a smart meter to implement these methods, because it is this meter that makes it possible to accurately determine the amount of consumption at any given time.

1. Eliminate draughts from windows and doors that cause owners to spend more money on heating the room.
2. Increase the energy efficiency of radiators by using special reflectors. These are hung on the walls behind the radiators and direct the heat into the room, reducing the warmth of the wall leading to the outside.
3. Reduce the room temperature by 1°C. This difference is practically insensible to the human body, but the heaters will work less, saving electricity.
4. Ensure that appliances are switched off before leaving the premises, including switching off lights where they are no longer required.

So, you can reduce your finances for electricity consumption in the UK by installing a smart meter. More and more Britons are ordering smart sensors to significantly reduce their utility bills. Installing a smart meter is an informed approach to electricity consumption and household budgeting, as well as an important step towards environmental stewardship.