The rollout of smart meters

• From 5 December 2018, energy suppliers must install smart meters (known as SMETS2), on premises occupied by microbusiness customers. Non-microbusiness* customers will be able to choose either an AMR or a smart meter.       
  
  
• If AMR is already installed, this does not need to be replaced with a smart meter.
  
  
• If the customer does not already have AMR, Ørsted will arrange to install an AMR device at the site(s) before 5 December 2018 (subject to customers' agreement) .
  
  
• If an AMR device needs to be replaced after this date, it will be replaced with a smart meter by the supplier.
  
  
• After this date, smart meters will be installed on an ongoing basis.

*A microbusiness is defined as a business which: 
a. Consumes no more than 293,000kWh of gas or 100,000kWh of electricity each year; or 
b. Has fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover not exceeding €2m.

• Energy suppliers have already installed approximately 10 million SMETS1 meters (first generation smart meters), but it has since been discovered that SMETS1 meters may not be able to retain their 'smart' functionalities if a customer changes supplier.

• The industry and Data and Communications Company (DCC) are working on a solution that would allow SMETS1 meters to operate on the DCC system, while retaining the ‘smart’ functionalities when customers switch suppliers. This solution is expected to be delivered by 5 December 2018. If customers already have a SMETS1 meter, they may be able to switch suppliers without needing to install a new SMETS2 meter.

• Domestic energy suppliers have rolled out approximately 47, 000  SMETS2 meters. Ørsted expects to roll out SMETS2 meters from Q1 2019.