Only 1 in 14 people (7%) are seeing a reduction in their energy bills after installing a smart meter, a new survey by the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) has found.
The survey, aimed at adults eligible to have a smart meter installed, found that 9% have actually noticed an increase in their energy bills since owning a smart meter.
Almost half of the respondents to the survey (47%), who don’t currently have a smart meter, are ‘very unlikely’ to have one installed in the next 12 months, while only 5% are ‘very likely’ to install a smart meter.
Of the respondents unlikely to have a smart meter installed, 30% said that the main reason was over concerns about cyber-attacks and personal data breaches. However, of those with a smart meters, only 1% reported any issues with data security or hacking.
In fact, 61% of smart meter owners have never had any issues but 45% have failed to see any benefit whatsoever. The biggest benefit reported was more accurate energy bills (29%), while one of the significant problems is connectivity issues (9%).
ECA Energy Advisor, Luke Osborne, responded to the results of the survey by saying: “These ECA findings suggest that smart meter users seldom report lower energy bills – which seems at odds with the government’s ‘save money’ message.
“Smart meters can play a role in stimulating a shift towards a lower carbon future. However, the government needs to do far more to incentivise change and explain the benefits of using smart meters if they are to increase consumer confidence and take-up in the near future.”
