The smart meter rollout could get five more years of government control
The smart meter rollout was meant to be finished years ago. Instead, the Energy Independence Bill now in Parliament would keep the government’s powers over it alive until 2033, five years longer than the law currently allows.
That sounds like housekeeping, and partly it is. But it sits on top of rules that are already in force and that change what your supplier owes you: a duty to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters in all remaining homes by the end of 2030, and 90 days to fix one that’s stopped working properly.
Here’s what the Bill does to the smart meter rollout, what the existing rules say, and what any of it means if you’ve got a smart meter, a broken one, or none at all. One caution first: this is a Bill, not law. It can change before it passes.
What does the Bill change about the smart meter rollout?
It extends a deadline on the government’s own powers. The factsheet published with the Bill on 4 November 2026 says the measure moves the end date for those powers from 1 November 2028 to 1 November 2033.
The powers in question let the Secretary of State amend suppliers’ licence conditions and the associated industry codes for smart metering, under Section 88 of the Energy Act 2008. The factsheet says they’re used to direct the smart meter rollout, set obligations on suppliers and introduce consumer protections.
Without the extension, the factsheet says, government “would be unable to maintain and further develop smart metering policy and regulation”, and losing the powers after 1 November 2028 would be “highly likely to hinder the rollout of smart meters”. The new date is chosen to match two targets: finishing the rollout by the end of 2030, and moving the industry onto the 4G communications network by 2033.
What do suppliers already have to do?
Quite a lot, and this part of the smart meter rollout isn’t waiting for the Bill. Ofgem says a new smart metering framework came into force in May 2026. It applies to energy suppliers with more than 20,000 domestic meter points.
| What suppliers must take all reasonable steps to do | By when |
|---|---|
| Install smart meters in all remaining domestic premises | The end of 2030 |
| Get smart meters that have fallen back to traditional mode working in smart mode again | As soon as possible, and no later than 90 days after the supplier first becomes aware |
| Replace older communications hubs and first generation meters that would otherwise stop working when network services end | 2033 |
Source: Ofgem’s page on supplier smart metering installation targets, checked 13 November 2026.
Note the wording. “All reasonable steps” is an obligation on the supplier, not a guarantee to you, and the 2030 duty covers homes. The government’s response to its consultation, updated on 10 March 2026, says this replaces the old system of annual installation targets, which ran from 2022 and ended at the close of 2025.
There’s a second smart meter rollout date worth knowing. The same response says annual milestones for new installations and for replacing older kit will be binding, without tolerances, from January 2027. Ofgem says suppliers must publish their milestones on their own websites and report each year on whether they hit them.
Why 2033, and what has 4G got to do with it?
Many smart meters send their readings over the 2G and 3G mobile networks, and those networks are being switched off. The government’s response gives the end of 2033 as the date by which that happens.
So the smart meter rollout now has a second job. As well as fitting meters in homes that don’t have one, suppliers have to swap the communications kit in homes that do, before it goes quiet. The response says suppliers must act “pre-emptively”, and that the Data Communications Company will have to publish a statement setting out when it can no longer provide the older services.
For you, this stage of the smart meter rollout may mean a visit to change a small box on top of the meter, called a communications hub, even though the meter itself is fine. Our guide to the 2G switch off explains the wider picture.
What this means if your smart meter isn’t working
A meter that has stopped sending readings is still a smart meter on paper. Ofgem’s page calls this “traditional mode”: the meter has to be read by hand, and you lose the automatic readings you were sold.
The smart meter rollout rules are now specific. Your supplier must take all reasonable steps to get it back into smart mode as soon as possible, and no later than 90 days from the date it is first aware. The clock starts when the supplier knows, so tell them, in writing, and keep the date.
If your meter has stopped working as smart
- Report it to your supplier and note the date you did.
- Keep giving manual readings in the meantime, so your bills stay accurate.
- If nothing happens, complain formally and quote the 90 day rule.
- Check whether you’re owed anything under the service standards for smart meters.
On that last point, see our guide to smart meter compensation. And if you’d rather not have one fitted at all, our guide to smart meter refusal rights covers where you stand.
Does a smart meter actually cut your bill?
On its own, a little, according to the government’s figures. The Bill factsheet says domestic smart meters, together with the data they provide, are estimated to reduce consumption by 3% for electricity and 2.2% for gas for credit customers, and 0.5% for gas for prepayment customers.
Those are estimates of energy use across all households, not a saving promised to yours. The factsheet also puts the net benefit of the whole smart meter rollout at £6 billion after all costs.
The bigger effect of the smart meter rollout is on what you can buy. A working smart meter is what gets you onto tariffs that charge different prices at different times of day. Whether one of those suits you depends on when you use your energy.
Which brings us back to the Do-Nothing Default. A new meter doesn’t change the tariff you’re on. If you haven’t checked your deal since the last one was fitted, that’s the part still costing you.
Frequently asked questions about the smart meter rollout
- When will the smart meter rollout finish?
- Suppliers must take all reasonable steps to install smart meters in all remaining domestic premises by the end of 2030, under a framework Ofgem says came into force in May 2026.
- Is the extension to 2033 law yet?
- No. It’s a measure in the Energy Independence Bill, with its factsheet published on 4 November 2026. It would extend the government’s smart metering powers from 1 November 2028 to 1 November 2033 if the Bill passes.
- How long does my supplier have to fix a smart meter that has gone dumb?
- Ofgem says suppliers must take all reasonable steps to return it to smart mode as soon as possible, and no later than 90 days from the date they’re first aware.
- Can I see how my supplier is doing on the smart meter rollout?
- Yes. Ofgem says suppliers must publish their annual milestones, and whether they achieved them, on their own websites.
Sources
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, “Smart meters (extension of rollout)”, published 4 November 2026. The extension from 1 November 2028 to 1 November 2033, the powers covered, the two targets, the consumption estimates and the £6 billion net benefit.
- Ofgem, “Supplier Smart Metering Installation Targets”. The May 2026 framework, the three obligations, the 20,000 meter point threshold and published milestones. The page shows no date. Read 13 November 2026.
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, “Smart metering policy framework post 2025: government response”, updated 10 March 2026. The end of the 2022 to 2025 targets framework, binding milestones from January 2027, pre-emptive replacement, the DCC statement and the 2G and 3G switch off by the end of 2033.
Checked 13 November 2026.
