Smart meters – the pros and cons for your home

As a voice of authority on all things heating and boiler related, our GasSafe-registered engineers are frequently asked about the wisdom of installing smart meters. And while our team loves a chin wag and the chance to demonstrate their expertise, the question was coming up so often we thought it’d be a good idea to tackle the pros and cons of smart meters head-on.

So what is a smart meter, anyway?

Everything feels like it’s going ‘smart’ these days. From phones to motorways, the ‘smart’ revolution is well and truly under way and energy meters have not been left behind. Gone are the days of dusting off the under stairs torch and rooting around in the gloaming for your meter display.

The smart meter is a device that when fitted in your home will give you an illuminated, on-screen display of your energy usage – meaning up-to-the-minute accuracy of exactly what your money is being spent on.

What are the pros of installing a smart meter?

No two ways about it, the smart meter makes life a lot easier. As well as keeping track of your energy use, it’ll take the hassle out of sending a meter reading to your provider. Your smart unit, once installed, will automatically update your provider so you don’t have to.

None of us would miss the drama of cautiously opening the quarterly energy bill, a bit like turning the wheel on a jack-in-the-box. Here are some of the other reasons why fitting a smart meter is just a smart idea:

• Keeping on top of your energy usage means keeping on top of your bills – helping to lower your monthly spending
• We’re all more conscious of our carbon footprint nowadays – tracking energy use means you can take steps to reduce it
  Some energy providers are offering cheaper tariffs for people who have smart meters fitted
• In theory, a smart meter should make it easier for you to switch energy provider as no final reading needs to go to your incumbent supplier

Is there a downside?

Yes, as with most things. Although smart meters are a great tool, they do have their limitations.

• They won’t automatically reduce your energy bills. You’ll be able to see your expenditure but faulty boilers, poorly functioning heating systems and blocked up radiators could all be contributing to big bills. Servicing your heating systems annually is the best way to avoid this. One of our Gas Safe registered engineers can advise on the best boiler type to heat your home, or improve the efficiency of your existing one.
• Smart meters can lead to obsessive monitoring of your energy consumption. While it’s never a good idea to live in blissful ignorance, being constantly anxious about heating your home is equally unsafe. Ensuring your heating system is fully functioning is the best way to remove anxiety on this front. Talk to one of our team today about how you can achieve total peace of mind.

It has been a long, cold winter this year. Our boilers have been working overtime to heat our homes and the costs for many have become unsustainable.

Smart meters are a great way to reduce energy spending by helping you to stay on top of what you’re using. However, if there’s a fault in your heating system, or if it’s just plain old, your smart meter won’t do much to keep costs down.

If you’d like to talk about safely heating your home and improving energy efficiency, give our team a call.

Need help with your boiler or heating system? Contact us today