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Smart meter installations rebounded in the third quarter of 2020 after a sluggish start to the year due to the pandemic, the latest government figures show.
More than 22 million smart and advanced meters were operating in the UK at the end of September, with 4 million operating in ‘dumb’ or traditional mode.
The latest quarterly statistics from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) revealed that in Q3 2020 there were 22.2 million smart and advanced meters in homes and small businesses across Great Britain.
The release includes information on the number of smart meters installed by the 16 largest energy suppliers, as well as the total number of meters operated by large suppliers on 30 September 2020.
A third of all meters are smart meters in smart mode or advanced meters, rising to 40 per cent when including smart meters in dumb mode.
In Q3 856,000 domestic smart meters were installed, 213,000 fewer than the same period in 2019. In the non-domestic sector, 21,000 smart/ advanced meters were installed which is only 250 down on Q3 last year.
The latest figures show the rollout has rebounded in Q3, after the previous quarter’s lockdown restrictions lead to an 86 per cent reduction compared to the year previously.
Responding to the figures, Iagan MacNeil of Smart Energy GB said: “The climate crisis isn’t going anywhere during this pandemic and we still need to act to ensure that our energy system is smart, clean and resilient for the future.
“With varying levels of lockdown across Great Britain it is only expected to see installation numbers remain low, but as restrictions are lifted we expect to see a return to normal installation rates.
“We are clear however, every single smart meter installed in Great Britain is another step closer to a smarter energy system that will be more efficient and make greater use of renewable energy.”
On Wednesday (25 November) it was revealed by the Data Communications Company (DCC) that more than 6 million second-generation SMETS2 devices had been installed onto the network.
Furthermore there are currently just over 8 million interoperable devices that have been integrated onto the DCC’s network, with more than 2 million first-generation (SMETS1) devices having been migrated.
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