Nearly 4 million smart meters across the UK are not working, new figures show, leaving customers at risk of overpaying their energy bills.

According to figures released by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), 3.98 million meters were not functioning properly at the end of last year.

Smart meters enable users and energy suppliers to track a household’s energy consumption, making it easier to understand when a household is using more energy and how to become more efficient, potentially highlighting where households could shift to cheaper electricity prices based on their usage. Condition.

Real-time data on consumers’ gas and electricity is sent to energy suppliers so they can understand how much energy they use and how much they pay.

How to judge whether the electric meter is faulty?

There are three warning signs that your meter is faulty – If your bill is higher than usual, you receive an unexpected bill or your prepaid meter displays an error message.

Citizens Advice has a handy online tool where you can check if your gas or electricity smart meter is working properly Appropriately.

Consumers can check the status of their smart meters by entering the Meter Point Management Number (MPAN) and postal code on the meter.

For natural gas, consumers can follow the same process but will need to enter the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) found on their gas bill, as well as their postal code.

Newly installed smart meters can take up to six weeks to connect after installation, and in most cases data transfer takes less time to get the latest readings.

Consumers who have recently changed suppliers and are using first-generation meters installed before 2019 may have to temporarily send manual energy readings as the system is updated at a national level.

Sometimes meters experience temporary connectivity outages which can be fixed remotely, but if the problem persists you should contact your supplier.

What should you do if you suspect your meter is faulty?

If you think your meter may be faulty, you should alert the supplier responsible for resolving the problem.

If you rent and your landlord pays the bill on your behalf, you should tell them to contact your energy supplier to resolve the issue.