Homeowners who’ve waited THREE YEARS to get faulty smart meters  fixed

As bills mount, tracking your energy usage has never been more important. With this in mind, Money Mail last week asked the question: Is it finally time for a smart meter?

Well, the readers have now had their say – and their answer is a resounding ‘no’.

Smart meters should automatically send readings to your provider to ensure bills are correct. Households also get a small monitor that should show how much power they are using in real time.

But for the past week, our mailbag has been overflowing with letters and emails from readers saying their gadgets just aren’t fit for purpose.

Many claim that the installation failed or that the technology never worked because the mobile signal where they live is too weak.

Others are outraged that the monitors that help them track usage are faulty and routinely displaying the wrong information.

Some suppliers have not even updated the figures shown to reflect the increased prices. As a result, customers are being hit by higher bills than expected.

And despite harassing customers to upgrade their meters, providers have shown little interest in solving these problems – with one reader having to wait three years for a replacement.

It’s no wonder households are outraged that the cost of the rollout – which already exceeds £13bn – is being added to their bills.

As one reader put it: ‘With the need to replace obsolete and faulty meters, costs are rising, so perhaps it should be borne by the energy supplier’s profits.’

Money Mail was so concerned about the sheer volume of complaints that we handed over a file to industry watchdog Ofgem for further investigation.

A spokesperson for the regulator said: ‘We thank Money Mail for this information. Protecting consumers is our top priority and we want customers to enjoy the benefits that smart meters can bring.

‘We regularly enter into discussions with suppliers and take enforcement action where necessary.’

Signaling chaos

Smart meters work on 2G and 3G networks – older versions of the systems that connect your mobile phone to the Internet when you’re not using a Wi-Fi connection.

But experts say this plan has always been flawed because it can be difficult for the signal to penetrate certain buildings — especially those with thick walls.

A reader told Money Mail that an EDF Energy engineer said it would always be a struggle to fit a smart meter in her 1950s home because of the way it was built. Rural areas can be problematic due to a lack of network coverage.

And another Mail reader, Steve Fletcher, has never been able to get his gas meter to work since he first installed the device and has reported the problem regularly.

According to its supplier Bulb, this is due to a poor mobile signal.

The 71-year-old from Leeds says: ‘My neighbor is also with Bulb and she has the same problem with her meter that she has had for two years.

“It feels like the rollout is rushed. They had so many targets to hit that they didn’t order them properly.

As with anything in life, if a company supplies you with something that is defective, it needs to be replaced or repaired.”

After being approached by Money Mail, Bulb agreed to have a new meter installed at Mr. Fletcher’s home.

However, the energy company says that this is not possible if the problem lies with the signalling.

failed work

Dozens of households say they were told on the day of their installation that the technology may not work, with technicians warning of mounting complaints.

In one of the worst cases, a 93-year-old Ovo customer lost her electricity supply after getting a smart meter. She had to pay £118.80 to an electrician, who said the installer had failed to turn on two control switches.

She told Money Mail, “My husband and I cannot afford to lose this amount through no fault of our own.”

An Ovo spokesperson says the money has since been refunded.

Readers say they are also struggling to get broken smart meters fixed, despite hunting for suppliers.

Energy companies have been given strict installation targets that they must meet, otherwise they face heavy fines. But once the device is installed, households say they feel they are no longer a priority.

British gas customer Pat Thwaites has been waiting three years for her smart meter to be replaced. In the meantime, she has to rely on someone from the company who reads her old meter, whom she cannot reach.

The 83-year-old from Essex says: ‘It would be very useful to know how much I spend on my gas and electricity. Every time I call British Gas they tell me something different.’

The supplier admits that her complaints were not followed up. New meters will fit next month.

Retired Sue Thurley from Ware, Hertfordshire, says her gas monitor has never worked and doesn’t show how much she spends.

She says: “The situation has caused my husband and I a lot of anxiety.

“I’m tired of calling and emailing Scottish Power over and over and asking them to fix it. But we’re afraid we’ll get a big bill.’

A spokesperson for Scottish Power said: ‘We regret the inconvenience Ms Thurley has experienced. We’ve arranged for a mechanic to replace her faulty meter.’

Outdated technology

The problems with smart meters will only get worse as telecom companies prepare to replace 2G and 3G networks with the faster 4G and 5G by 2033. Experts warn that this could cause millions of devices to stop working.

Nick Hunn, of wireless consultancy WiFore, says: “In 2012 energy companies were told they were designing equipment with technology that was already obsolete. But they were like rabbits in headlights.’

It comes after carriers were criticized for initially installing millions of older Smets1 devices in homes, which “go dumb” when you switch suppliers. They are now rolling out a newer Smets2 model, which should continue to work.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “We are working with industry to ensure that smart gas and electricity meters can remain in place as we move away from 2G and 3G networks.”

A spokesperson for campaign body Smart Energy GB says: ‘The vast majority of smart meters work as they should.

“The smart meter rollout is the biggest upgrade to our energy system in a generation, so it’s inevitable that there will be temporary technical issues to be solved along the way.”

h.kelly@dailymail.co.uk