Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it remains her Department's policy that all older generation SMETS1 smart meters should send information directly to suppliers so that customers can be billed automatically.
All first generation SMETS1 meters should be operating in smart mode by the end of 2023, substantively as a result of energy suppliers enrolling these into the national communications infrastructure as required under their Licence Conditions. Ofgem is responsible for regulating energy suppliers against their enrolment obligations.
Enrolment into the national communications infrastructure enables automatic billing, but also allows SMETS1 consumers to get the best deal by switching without losing smart services.
The Department does not hold data on the number of SMETS1 meters by Local Authority.