Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, has called on the First Minister to ensure Scottish consumers are protected in the future review of Smart Meters after issues of disparity between the North and South of the UK were reported on a BBC Panorama programme.
The Stirling MSP asked John Swinney in First Minister’s Questions on Thursday (14th November) how the Scottish Government has engaged with the UK Government regarding reports that energy smart meters in Scotland are experiencing a disproportionate number of operational issues compared with elsewhere in the UK.
There are 36 million such devices in England, Wales and Scotland – but recent UK Government figures show 3.5 million of them are not working properly.
The BBC Panorama documentary found that customers in Scotland were more likely to have issues with their smart meters than their English counterparts, making their energy bills higher as a result. This is largely due to differences in how smart meters send data to energy providers.
In Wales and Southern England, all smart meters use cellular technology – similar to mobile phones – to send data to energy providers. However, in northern England and Scotland, meters instead rely on longer-range radio frequencies to operate, which has seen data from smart meters being unable to reach energy providers reliably.
This leads to energy providers providing consumers with estimated utility bills which are often inaccurate and can cost the consumer more as they are paying for energy they may not have used.
In response to Evelyn Tweed’s question, First Minister John Swinney MSP advised, “I am disappointed to hear that Scottish energy consumers are being disadvantaged in this way. The Scottish Government will continue to urge the UK Government to take the necessary action to ensure that all households with smart meters in Scotland are provided with full network access. We are also working with our consumer advice and advocacy partners to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary knowledge and information to support consumers who are seeking help on managing or accessing smart meters.”
Following the BBC Panorama investigation, the UK Government has announced a review of smart meter roll out across the UK however there remains concerns that Scottish consumers are not being protected should their energy provider switch to using cellular data prior to the review’s conclusion.
Evelyn Tweed said; “Smart meters were created to give consumers greater control over their energy usage and help them save money, so it’s disappointing to hear that so many consumers in Scotland have been unknowingly getting a raw deal and in many cases been an afterthought to energy companies. I am pleased the First Minister is taking this seriously and will do all he can to ensure people in Scotland are served just as well by Smart Meters as those in the South of England.
“In these times of financial hardship for so many, smart meters serve as a really vital tool to help people save money on their bills so I do sincerely hope that Scotland will not be left behind in the UK Government’s review and that network connections in Scotland will be improved so that these issues are eradicated for good.”
