Risks, dangers and downsides to smart meters?

You might have noticed we’re big smart meter fans here on the OVO online community. We really believe in the potential of this new in-home tech to make managing your energy account easier and to revolutionise the way our energy grid works. Don’t just take it from us - our community members have also shared their love for smart meters on a great SMETS 2 installation guide and a lowdown on the inner workings of how smart meter firmware works.

As with all new technology, there’s been a few teething issues and user anxieties over how things work. In the interest of transparency we’ve collated some common smart meter concerns and attempted to address them - giving more OVO members the confidence to go smart!

Can you refuse to have a smart meter installed?

All energy suppliers have been tasked by the government to make sure their customers are offered a smart meter, however at the moment it’s up to you whether you decide to get one installed. We need to get permission from whoever pays the energy bills before booking an appointment and can’t enter your home to carry out the installation without your consent.

Ofgem has made it clear that we must treat members fairly and any communications we send out about smart meters must be complete, accurate and not misleading. Whilst we can encourage you to go smart by offering you cheaper rates if you’ve got smart meters, we can’t force this change on you if you’re not ready yet. 

Having said that, the law surrounding smart meters may change in future, to ensure that the smart meter rollout can achieve the coverage it needs to properly transform our energy grid. So we’d really recommend getting ahead of the game!

Are smart meters safe, don’t they give off radiation?

This is a big one - and we empathise with the safety concerns about having something new in your home. You might have heard that smart meters are radioactive - which is understandably worrying! That’s why we’re keen to reassure you of the stringent testing that smart meters have gone through. 

Public Health England, an executive agency of the UK Department of Health, has collated various studies, reviews and assessments to measure the effect of smart meter radio waves. They’ve concluded that the radio waves produced by smart meters don’t pose any risk to your health. 

In fact smart meters emit levels of radiation that are a million times less than the levels allowed by international guidelines. This is down to the fact that a smart meter is not in constant communication so only emits radiation when it is scheduled to send us a reading (which can be as little as once a month). This and the fact that the meters are generally much further from the body than other radio-emitting devices like mobile phones. 

Do smart meters affect WIFI?

As smart meters use radio or mobile phone signals to communicate rather than your home’s WiFi, they won’t affect your internet connection or surfing speeds.

Can smart meters be hacked?

Another important worry to address. Given the smart meter tracks what you're using, there have been concerns raised that this information could be misused if it’s not stored and sent securely. That’s why smart meters are equipped with a security system developed by leading experts in industry and government including GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre, making the data encryption comparable to internet banking.

It’s worth mentioning that it’s only your usage information that’s stored or sent by the meters. No personal details, such as your name, address and bank account details are held here. We only store this type of information on internal systems which are strictly regulated in terms of Data protection legislation.

Can smart meters give wrong readings, can your bills be higher with a smart meter?

Smart meters are far more accurate and reliable than traditional meters and very rarely send wrong reading or clock too fast. If you’ve noticed a change to your usage since getting a smart meter installed it’s worth bearing in mind that if you hadn't provided regular readings previously then your bills may have been under-estimated and therefore appear to increase after a smart meter is installed. As a smart meter sends us a reading when we need it you can be sure your bill is spot on and avoid any nasty bill surprises in future.

Can smart meters really lower your bills?

Whilst getting a smart meter alone won’t necessarily lead to lower bills, the increased visibility of your usage can make you aware of ways you can reduce what you use and your energy charges as a result.

More than 80% of people with smart meters have taken steps to reduce their energy use and as a result, cut their bills. It is estimated smart meters took £300 million off consumer’s bills in 2020, rising to more than £1.2 billion per year by 2030 – an average annual saving of £47 per household.

Not only will you be able to keep an eye on what you’re using with a free In-Home Display we’ll also publish your smart meter usage data on the ‘usage’ pages of your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS). Having a smart meter also means you’ll get even more energy-saving tips with OVO Greenlight.

Can you switch with a smart meter?

Of course! Getting a smart meter installed doesn’t tie you to that particular supplier. In fact with the new SMETS2 meters being installed and the national upgrade of SMETS1 meters - the aim is that all smart meters will soon be cross compatible with all suppliers. Even if your smart meter isn’t currently compatible you’re still free to switch - you might just have to start taking your readings manually again until the meter is updated. 

Will getting a smart meter mean you’ll be charged more for using energy at peak times?

Your current plan isn’t affected when your smart meter is first installed. You’ll be paying the same unit rates for your energy as you did before. Unless you’re already on one of our dual-rate plans, you’ll be charged the same amount whenever you’re using energy.

One of the benefits of smart meters is that we’re able to take meter readings automatically,  and more regularly, as often as every half an hour. This means there’s the potential in future to offer a tariff which would offer your different rates at different times of the day, encouraging members to use more at times when the demand is lower. This is a great way of incentivising a more stable national energy demand and will help us to balance and de-carbonise the grid.


However these types of tariffs are very much in the ideas phase at the moment. We don’t have any immediate plans to introduce these at OVO and like all our fixed plans, they would be offered as an option rather than compulsory plan.

Heard any other smart meter stories you’d like us to take a look at?

Comment below with any concerns you might have - We’re keen to put any niggling doubts to rest!