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SMETS 1 Meters

Types of Smart Meter

There are two main types of smart meters - the older models known as SMETS 1 (Smart Meter Equipment Technical Specifications) and the newer versions that were rolled out in 2018, known as SMETS 2.

SMETS 1

Most of these communicate with your supplier through the 2G/2.5G mobile network and contain a normal mobile phone type sim card. Unfortunately a number of different unlinked systems are used to manage these meters and so if you change suppliers it is likely that your new supplier will not be able to operate your Smart Meter and it will become a 'dumb' meter for operational purposes.

However most of these are currently being upgraded to work with the central DCC system which will allow smooth switching between suppliers.

To understand the progress and factors affecting the roll-out of these meters see the page on Meter Roll-Out.

Wide Area Network

The Smart Metering Wide Area Network (SMWAN or WAN for short) is the name given to the communications network between the communications hub sitting on top of your electricity meter and the company responsible for collecting the data and passing it on to other businesses such as suppliers.

2G and 3G networks to close by 2033

The government and UK mobile network operators have agreed to phase out 2G and 3G mobile networks by 2033 in order to free up bandwidth for 5G and future 6G services. This impacts SMETS 1 meters which use a mobile phone type SIM card to facilitate communications.

This change will require the replacement of the internal SIM or communications hubs on the Smart Electricity Meters

Meters

Current Smart Meter installations are for SMETS 2 and a small number of SMETS 1. Once SMETS 1 stocks have been used up, no more SMETS 1 meters will be installed.

Gas Meter Battery

See the information on the SMETS 2 page regarding SMETS 1 and SMETS 2 gas meter batteries.

Moving SMETS 1 meters to DCC

As SMETS 1 meters where originally installed on different management systems, they often failed when transferring between suppliers and stopped communicating. Having got DCC and SMETS 2 meters working, it was decided to upgrade the SMETS 1 meters to allow them to be managed through DCC. This would then allow them to operate correctly for most functions including sending meter readings and switching suppliers.

The upgrade process involves updating the meter's firmware remotely and making changes in the old management system and in DCC. The migration process to the new DCC system is called Enrolment and Adoption (E&A).

This does not change the radio communication technology, so if your SMETS 1 meter does not communicate currently due to lack of radio signal, it cannot be upgraded. In this case your supplier may eventually install a SMETS 2 meter if there is a SMETS 2 radio signal.

If your SMETS 1 meters was working and then stopped because you changed supplier and the new supplier could not link to it then that meter is categorised as a "Dormant" meter and can be made operational again by migrating it to DCC.

If you are wondering if your SMETS 1 meter is going to be upgraded, look up your meter model number in the table below.

In June 2020 BEIS (Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy) decided in response to a consultation that it would be cheaper to replace EDMI SMETS 1 meters with SMETS 2 meters. This is because EDMI refused to offer technical support for the migration thus increasing potential costs.

When will SMETS 1 meters be connected to DCC?

More than 15 million SMETS 1 meters need to be migrated in total. By 2^nd October 2024 11,910,550 SMETS 1 meters had been successfully migrated to the DCC's systems.

The original milestones have been delayed a number of times and the final published completion dates are shown in the table below.

DCC are now stating that they will complete the migration by September 2024 and allow a 3 month period to close down the migration service. So expect your SMETS 1 meter to be migrated by the end of 2024.

If you have a meter that cannot be transferred to DCC then suppliers have to take all reasonable steps to replace your meter with a SMETS 2 meter by 31^st December 2024. This deadline has been extended a number of times.