'Out of pocket' warning issued to 2.7 million UK households with smart meter

A total of 2,780,000 out of around 33million meters are not in smart mode - also known as "dummy" mode - according to a fresh warning issued today (Monday December 4).

An energy warning for 2.7million with smart meters that could leave you £1,000s out of pocket. A total of 2,780,000 out of around 33million meters are not in smart mode - also known as "dummy" mode - according to a fresh warning issued today (Monday December 4).

A DENSZ spokesperson said: "The overwhelming majority of smart meters are modernising energy for millions of consumers and providing households with near-real time information, which they are using to manage their energy use and save money on their bills.

"We understand a small proportion are suffering from technical issues and are working with Ofgem, energy suppliers and data experts to solve these issues." One woman had £900 taken from her account without warning, while another saw her direct debit plunge from £200 to £2, the BBC reports.

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Smart mode means your meter should automatically send readings to your supplier. If it's not working in smart mode, you'll need to send regular meter readings yourself. Smart mode means your meter should automatically send readings to your supplier. If it’s not working in smart mode, you’ll need to send regular meter readings yourself.

If you have a pay as you go (PAYG) or 'prepay' smart meter, smart mode means that you can top up online. Energy UK, the trade association for the energy industry, said: "A small proportion of smart meters have lost full functionality and, although this means they still operate as traditional meters, allowing customers to submit manual readings manually, suppliers still have a duty to replace these with a functioning smart meter when necessary.

"There can be a range of reasons for any problems - and sometimes the issue is with the in-home display unit rather than the meter itself. In some cases, it's possible to rectify the issue with a remote update or a reset of the in-home display which the customer can perform themselves."