‘Routine’ upgrade behind SSE smart meter gaffe

Billing will be “unaffected” by alarming in-home display errors

Energy supplier SSE has moved to reassure customers after a routine software update for smart meter customers resulted in inaccurate energy charges being reported on in-home displays.

According to the BBC, one SSE customer’s display suggested she would be charged more than £30,000 for a single day.

A spokesperson for SSE responded to national press reports with an assurance that customer billing will be “completely unaffected” because the “technical issue only affects the digital display” not the actual smart meter.

The spokesperson added that the errors – experienced by a “small” but unconfirmed number of customers – were the result of “a routine software upgrade carried out last week”.

SSE is now in the process of contacting effected customers to give more information and “get their in-home displays back to normal as soon as possible”.

The smart charging gaffe comes shortly after a warning from Citizens Advice that the rollout of smart meters may be blighted by an increasing volume of customer complaints. The largest complaints category noted by the charity is for billing and usage or “shock” back bills which some customers have received after getting smart meters installed.