Can I Get a Smart Meter If I Have a Storage Heater?
This is part of our complete guide on operating storage heaters.
In January 2022, a new rollout obligation made it so energy suppliers must provide a smart meter to all their customers. The rollout ends in 2025, and by the end of 2025, all suppliers must have given these to their customers. Customers do not have to pay to have a smart meter installed, and a smart meter can help save money on energy bills by allowing you to track your energy use. If you have not yet received your smart meter, you may be wondering if you have been left out because you have storage heaters. Fortunately, this is not the case.
So, Can You Have a Smart Meter with Night Storage Heaters?
The short answer is yes, you can have a smart meter if you have storage heaters. In fact, if you get a new storage heater, the installation will come with a smart meter.
However, if you already have storage heaters, your supplier might not yet be able to provide you with a smart meter. You may have to reach out to the supplier and ask for your free smart meter, and your supplier will have answers for you about how long it will take. You can also find information on your supplier’s website, because suppliers are required to publish their annual targets, as well as whether or not they lived up to these targets.
Why Do People with Storage Heaters Have to Wait?
If you have storage heaters and you have not yet been offered a smart meter, it could be that your energy supplier does not yet have access to smart meters hat work with your particular heater. Maybe you are on Economy 7 or 10, and the supplier does not yet offer Economy 7 or 10 smart meters. Whatever the case, you will be offered a smart meter by the end of the rollout period.
Do I Have to Have a Smart Meter?
Actually, no. Your supplier is required to offer you a smart meter, but you are not required to accept it. In fact, in some cases, people who rent from a landlord may not have smart meters because the landlord has declined them. Some people have encountered problems with smart meters that did not work as they should, and some are worried that their supplier might switch the meter to ‘prepayment’ mode, shutting them out of their energy supply.
Also, smart meters are not very useful for households primarily reliant on gas, because they only measure electricity usage. It is important to note that smart meters do not automatically save you money on your energy bills. Rather, they can help you to have a better awareness of the energy you are using, so that you have more control over the energy you waste. By having more accurate data about how much energy your household is using, you can shift your usage to save electricity. This potential for savings is why so many people are saying yes to smart meters.
Get More Information From MPC Energy
MPC Energy has over 30 years of experience and is a trusted name in home energy improvements across the UK. We specialise in insulation, heating systems and eco-friendly solutions, offering high-quality products, exceptional service and superior craftsmanship. Our nationwide services aim to enhance home efficiency through the Energy Company Obligations Scheme and other programmes. Contact our Clydebank office in West Dunbartonshire for bespoke energy assessments and installation to fit any budget.
For more information about our services, contact us via our website or call to speak to one of our energy consultants at +44 141 951 7887.
