Smart meters might not work when switching suppliers, report warns

While smart meters can certainly help home owners keep close tabs on their energy spending, switching suppliers after having one of them installed might become a really troublesome process, a recent news report has been able to reveal.

Under existing regulations, suppliers are obliged to install the meters in all their customers' homes but they don't have to make their smart meters compatible with those of rival firms. The devices record household energy use every 30 minutes and send this information directly to energy companies, meaning customers pay only for the gas and electricity they use.

Until the national infrastructure goes live in April 2016, customers who already have smart meters may find that if they change suppliers before then their meter will temporarily need to operate as a traditional meter. However, afterwards, the changeover should be smooth enough, without requiring an engineer's visit.

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