Our smart meter campaign Smart meter advice for consumers

Door to door salesman

By 2020 the government hopes that there will be a smart meter in every home in the Great Britain. This will cost consumers over £11 billion, so we want to make sure that we all see a real benefit from the smart meter roll out.

No selling, just installing

Some companies are training their smart meter staff to sell you products and services while they're in your home. We don't think you should be forced to listen to a sales pitch when you are likely to be paying for the cost of the roll out via your energy bill.

What's more, many smart meter installers will have their wages topped-up by commission. This will encourage pressure-selling and open the floodgates to mis-selling, a problem that Which? has revealed in the energy industry a number of times before.

The Which? smart meter challenge

We're asking companies to accept our 'No selling, just installing' smart meter challenge. The companies who have signed up agree that they won't try to sell to you – they'll come round, install your smart meter, then leave you in peace.

If your energy company is one that hasn't signed up, be aware that your smart meter installation could include a sales pitch.

What should I do?

All we're asking you to do is remember the smart meter challenge – Which? has told all companies that they shouldn't sell while they're installing smart meters.

So when a representative from your energy company comes to fit your smart meter, remember that you're not obliged to buy anything from them. Your smart meter is free, and the in-home display (which shows how much energy you're using at any given time) should be free too.

We're not saying you shouldn't buy anything – if you want your installer to give you more information on other products and services, that;s great. But you shouldn't feel forced to shell out any money then and there.

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