Which means, if your landlord agrees to you having one installed, you can take energy saving steps to help save you money on energy bills.
Smart meters send automatic, exact meter readings to your energy supplier. You can have an in-home display device that shows how much energy is being used, helping you to keep on top of your bills.
If you live in an apartment, it’s important to be aware that it isn’t always possible to have one fitted so you’d need to speak to us when we manage your property or your landlord if they do, to check before taking any next action.
What are the main benefits to you?
- You can see your energy usage in real-time, so you know how much is being used and how much you’re spending. You can consider adapting behaviour to reduce usage.
- Meter readings are automatically sent to the supplier, meaning no more estimated bills, and time saved as you no longer need to do this.
- A meter reading will not need to be taken on check-out day if the bill payer has chosen to send readings every half hour/per day.
What are the other benefits
Engineers can find out much faster when power cuts have occurred and have better information about what caused them. This enables them to conduct quicker and cheaper repairs and reduce the risk of similar problems occurring in the future.
Smart meters are also helping to reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels. For example, innovative smart tariffs allow consumers to save money by using energy away from peak times or when there is excess clean electricity available.
Do you need to ask for permission from your landlord?
You should let your landlord, or agent, know if you wish to make any changes at the property, and smart meters are no exception.
Before requesting a smart meter from your supplier check your tenancy agreement and either speak to your landlord or property manager (depending on who manages the property) to get written permission.
If energy bills are included in your rent, the landlord can request the smart meter installation. If you pay the energy bills you can request the smart meter but only once you have the right permissions.
Installation and cost involved
Smart meters are installed by your energy supplier, there is no cost involved and the installation process will take around two hours.
You can read more about Smart Meters on our recent blog.