The UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (Desnez) has revealed that 4.31 million smart meters have not been operating in smart mode.

At the end of 2023, 3.98 million were found to be faulty, with the trade association for the energy industry, Energy UK, subsequently instructing suppliers to replace broken meters.

There are almost 35 million smart meters in Great Britain and the majority are operating as intended according to Smart Energy GB, a not-for-profit campaign helping homes across England, Scotland and Wales understand the importance of smart meters and their benefits.

According to its data, 88.6% were operating in smart mode at the end of 2023, up from 87.3% the previous year.

Money Savings Expert founder, Martin Lewis, branded Britain’s smart meter rollout a “disgrace”.

Speaking to BBC Sounds, he said: “The rollout of the smart meters has been a disgrace in this country. 20% of them don’t work and meet people with nothing more than a fixed metre which is what you’ve got anyway.

“If it doesn’t work, you’re not necessarily worse off, but on a macroeconomic level it has been a terrible rollout.”

ഗ്രെഗ് ഹാൻസൺ, GVP and head of sales EMEA North, at software development firm കമ്പ്യൂട്ടർ, believes the revelation could have a damaging impact on smart meters’ reputation, leading to a loss of consumer trust in the devices.

He said: “If smart meters don’t function flawlessly, they’re anything but smart, and this can have a negative and long-term impact on customer satisfaction. 

“Energy providers need to be 100% confident in the information they receive and analyse from smart meters, to provide the most accurate pricing information. When meters provide utilities companies with the wrong data, customers are left frustrated, facing inaccurate bills, and they lose trust in their energy provider.”

Prioritising data accuracy, clarity and governance will be key to ensuring smart meters live up to their name, he explained.

He added: “While smart meters are pivotal in moving the UK towards a more sustainable and efficient energy model, they rely on accurate and trusted data to work properly. To deliver on their aim of giving consumers greater control over their energy usage, utilities companies need to be able to identify anomalies and problems faster and more accurately- all this relies on data quality.” 

വ്യവസായ പ്രമുഖരിൽ നിന്ന് IoT-യെ കുറിച്ച് അറിയാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നുണ്ടോ? ചെക്ക് ഔട്ട് ഐഒടി ടെക് എക്സ്പോ ആംസ്റ്റർഡാം, കാലിഫോർണിയ, ലണ്ടൻ എന്നിവിടങ്ങളിലാണ് നടക്കുന്നത്. ഉൾപ്പടെയുള്ള മറ്റ് പ്രമുഖ ഇവൻ്റുകൾക്കൊപ്പമാണ് സമഗ്രമായ ഇവൻ്റ് സൈബർ സുരക്ഷയും ക്ലൗഡ് എക്‌സ്‌പോയും, AI & ബിഗ് ഡാറ്റ എക്സ്പോ, എഡ്ജ് കമ്പ്യൂട്ടിംഗ് എക്സ്പോ, ഒപ്പം ഡിജിറ്റൽ പരിവർത്തന വാരം.

ടെക്‌ഫോർജ് നൽകുന്ന മറ്റ് വരാനിരിക്കുന്ന എന്റർപ്രൈസ് ടെക്‌നോളജി ഇവന്റുകളും വെബ്‌നാറുകളും പര്യവേക്ഷണം ചെയ്യുക ഇവിടെ.

ടാഗുകൾ: ഊര്ജം, സ്മാർട്ട് ഹോം, സ്മാർട്ട് മീറ്റർ