Smart Meter installations to resume in June as number of installations fell 15% in Q1 of 2020

Coronavirus slows installation rate

The number of smart meters being installed was at record highs in the first two months of the year, then came along the Covid-19 pandemic and all installation work was put on hold.

According to new data released by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) between January to the beginning of March just 0.98 million smart meters were installed by the large energy suppliers, a 15% decline on the previous quarter's figures.

Previously the number of installations had surpassed more than a million installations for 12 consecutive quarters.

The report reveals that 2020 initially looked set to become a new record-breaking year for installations as the number of smart meters being installed into domestic and business properties were higher than those seen on the preceding quarter.

22,000 smart and advanced meters were installed in smaller non-domestic sites. This represents a 31% drop from the previous quarter, largely due to a fall in advanced meter installations.

However, as the lockdown began in March installations came to a screeching halt as all smart meter installers were furloughed until such a time as they can safely enter homes again.

The data shows that so far, the total number of smart and advanced meters for both domestic and non-domestic has risen to 21.5 million.

The smart meter rollout has faced much criticism and many challenges.

“This is a programme that’s kind of lurched from crisis to crisis if I’m honest – some of it’s been about delivery, some of it’s about oversight and management, some of it’s about the policy framework that it’s kind of sat within – when you look at a lot of stuff that happens in energy, this programme looks slightly anomalous,” said Joel Stark, Managing Director at Stark, who spoke to Energy Live News earlier this month.

Remobilising from June

Things had been looking up for the plan after the Data Communications Company (DCC) announced that the four millionth second-generation smart meter (SMETS2) had been installed in February.

This suggested the rollout was picking up speed, as the three millionth meter was installed in December.

According to the DCC, that was a 13-fold increase in speed in comparison to 2019.

As the lockdown begins to ease, energy suppliers are preparing to remobilise their smart meter installers and get back on track.

Smart Meter installer Smart Metering Systems has announced that it will begin a phased resumption of all non-essential fieldwork from the start of June.

“This remobilisation is expected to be implemented over a period of three months and will see the resumption of non-essential field-based activities, including the installation of smart meters,” the company said.

The furloughing of installers has had a big impact on the UK government’s target of rolling out a smart meter to 85% of the domestic and small business properties in the nation by the end of 2024. The target had already been pushed back due to the slow uptake by consumers and thanks to Covid-19 that target is now in doubt.

“The DCC’s secure network is the digital spine of Britain’s energy system, supporting the move to net zero. Before Covid interrupted the roll-out, 31 second-generation smart meters were being installed every minute. We’re ready to support energy companies to resume that effort as soon as the lockdown is lifted,” said a spokesman from the DCC. 

Further Reading

The importance of being a DCC user for Energy Suppliers

Smart Meter Roll out Halted by Coronavirus

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