• One in five (20%) think that smart meters are a bad idea
• A quarter of Brits (25%) think that smart meters will not save them any money and therefore do not intend to get one
• Only 11% of Brits intend to have a smart meter installed

14 November 2019, LONDON –

6 in 10 Brits (58%) support the concept of smart meters however a similar percentage do not intend to get one, according to new research from personal finance comparison website finder.com.

Three-fifths (58%) of Brits do not plan to switch to a smart meter. This is equivalent to 30.4 million Brits and the reasons they give for not getting one vary.

A quarter of Brits (25%) do not intend to get a smart meter because they are unconvinced that they will save them money. This is the most common reason bill payers do not plan to make the switch.

24% of Brits said that they are not planning to change their meters because they are being pressured to switch by their energy company. This is the second most popular reason. Thirdly, 2 in 10 (22%) consumers do not believe that smart meters work well.

Currently 15.3 million operation smart meters have been installed since the beginning of the scheme. A further 11% of Brits intend to get one installed, this is equivalent to 5.5 million meters.

Over a third (68%) of residents in Yorkshire and Humberside support smart meters, making this the most supportive region. However, it is the South East of England where the most residents (18%) are planning to have smart meters installed.

East Anglia supports the principle of smart meters the least, with a quarter of residents (24%) saying that smart meters are a bad idea. Interestingly, in Northern Ireland 78% of residents do not intend to have a smart meter which is higher than any other region.

Speaking about the findings, Jon Ostler, CEO at finder.com said: “While over 50% of Brits say they do not plan to opt for a smart meter, they could be missing out on saving time and money. Smart meters automatically send readings to your provider, so you are no longer paying estimated bills and you don’t have to waste time submitting readings. Many smart meters come with a display that shows how much you are using and what this is costing you.

“However, consumers should be aware that there were technical difficulties with the first generation smart meters, however the second generation promises to have solved these issues. If you do decide to make the change it is worth checking which generation of meter you will receive as some companies are still offering first generation meters. Smart meters are not mandatory for customers. Energy companies will have to offer a smart meter to all their customers by 2024, but customers don’t have to have one if they don’t want it, so no-one should feel under pressure but it’s worth considering the benefits.”

Methodology:

Finder commissioned Onepoll on 7–11 November 2019 to carry out a nationally representative survey of adults aged 18+.

A total of 2,000 people were questioned throughout Great Britain, with representative quotas for gender, age and region.