Smart meters in Great Britain - statistics & facts

Smart meters are part of an advanced metering infrastructure meant to ease monitoring of energy consumption and enable two-way communication with the supplier. The meter may be connected to the network via fixed cabling or wireless options. They are most commonly used as an electricity meter in the deployment of smart grids, although gas and water meters are also available. In Great Britain, a government-initiated rollout of smart electricity and gas meters began in 2016. By the end of 2022, utility companies had more than 28 million smart and advanced meters in operation across Great Britain.

What is the British smart meter rollout scheme?

A smart meter rollout for England, Wales, and Scotland was meant to improve consumer flexibility within the market. By monitoring real-time energy consumption, households would no longer have to rely on estimated billing and could use energy more efficiently, helping Great Britain move towards a lower-carbon economy. Due to deployment delays, the government has extended the rollout period until 2025, when all energy suppliers will be required to offer smart meters to their customers.

Smart meter deployment in Great Britain

In Great Britain, residences account for the largest share of smart meters deployed. In 2022, there were roughly 26.45 millions of domestic smart meters in operation in the country, the majority of which were installed by large energy suppliers. That year, small suppliers installed some 47,000 domestic smart meters units. Meanwhile, the number of non-domestic smart and advanced meters in operation in Great Britain surpassed 1.7 million in 2022. Since the previous year, smart meters have surpassed advanced meters in terms of new non-domestic installations by large energy suppliers.

Consumer awareness and experience

Brits’ smart meter awareness has considerably grown in the past decade. According to a survey conducted in March 2021, less than five percent of respondents had never heard of smart meters, down from more than half of households surveyed in 2012. Another survey found that, when it comes to consumers’ experience with smart meters, more than 60 percent of respondents in Britain believed the devices made them more conscious about their energy use. As of the first quarter of 2021, seven out of ten users surveyed were satisfied with smart meters.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, May 19, 2023

Key insights

UK region with the greatest share of smart meters users
North East
Share of British smart meter users satisfied with installation process
77%
Share of smart meter users who trust their energy supplier
57%
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of domestic smart meters in operation in Great Britain from 2013 to 2022 (in millions)

Energy

Number of operational domestic smart meters in Great Britain 2013-2022

Number of domestic smart meters installed by large energy suppliers in Great Britain from 3rd quarter 2012 to 4th quarter 2022

Electricity

Number of new domestic smart meters installed in Great Britain Q3 2012-Q4 2022

Share of households using smart meters in the United Kingdom as of March 2021, by region

Electricity

Smart meter usage in the UK 2021, by region

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Non-residential rollout

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Consumer perceptions

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Electricity consumption in the UK
Electricity consumption in the UK
Electricity generation in the UK
Electricity generation in the UK
Renewable energy in the UK
Renewable energy in the UK
Smart home market in the United Kingdom
Smart home market in the United Kingdom
Smart grids worldwide
Smart grids worldwide

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