If you’re unsure whether you have a smart meter, first check on your fuel bill or online account, particularly the ‘meter reading’ section of the bill.

Sometimes smart meters cannot operate in ‘smart mode’ but operate like standard meters. For more information on smart meters and how to know if you have one, visit Smart Energy GB: How to know if you have a smart meter

To check if someone has a smart meter that is operating in smart mode see the Citizens Advice smart meter check. The client will need their electricity MPAN (Meter Point Administration number) which is on their electricity bill.

Your smart meter doesn’t contain information like your name, address or postcode. Smart meters record half hourly energy use and relay that information to your energy supplier using a secure network. This data is not detailed enough to be able to know what activities caused energy usage. Plus, energy suppliers do not analyse smart meter data for very low or no energy use, for example if you were away from home for a few days.

Smart meters help consumers in a number of ways, through accurate billing and the ability to monitor energy use via their In-Home Display. A major benefit of smart metering is that UK-wide the demand for energy is known. This is important to ensure that energy supply is adequate to meet demand.

Smart meters don’t use the internet. They have their own closed communications system which was designed with top cybersecurity experts, including GCHQ, the government’s security and intelligence organisation. Your smart meter data is only available to you and your energy supplier.

With some smart tech, for example for voice control devices like Siri or Alexa, security settings must be lowered for their operation. However, voice activated devices can be helpful to use alongside other smart technologies. For example, you can link smart plugs to your device and say ‘Alexa, turn the smart plug on’ to switch it on.

While voice activated devices can be a target for scammers trying to get personal data, there are steps you can take to minimse the risk.

To make sure your data is as safe as possible, you should:

• Keep your phone / computer software up to date with the latest operating system.
• Regularly update software.
• Change user credentials from the factory default settings.
• Avoid sharing personal information with automated phone systems, unless you trust the service provider’s online security systems

See Get Safe Online for more information.

Smart products should meet security requirements, as part of The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act 2022 . This act also specifies that companies must be transparent with consumers about how long they will support smart products for with tech updates. This gives smart products a ‘tech best lifetime’ estimate, so that consumers know at the point of purchase the likely working lifetime of a product. Currently there is little standardisation of tech update requirements for smart products.

Which? suggests that if you have a device that’s less than six years old and no longer supported, you could try to argue that you deserve a refund or replacement.

Some smart offers can involve a third-party organisation that helps to control energy use in your home.

How third parties work will vary depending on the smart offer or product you choose. The intention is to make managing your energy use simpler and to optimise how the energy is used.

It is always important to be informed about any agreement, checking the small print. You can also choose the purposes and how much personal information you share. You should never feel pressured into providing data you’re not comfortable with.

To estimate how much you might be able to flex your electricity use, it is worth thinking about:

1. Your household’s annual electricity consumption. This will depend on the size of your home, its energy efficiency, number of occupants, your appliances and how you use them.
   
   The less electricity you use, the less flexibility potential you have.
2. Occupancy times. If someone is at home 09:00-16:00 and able to utilise high consumption appliances outside of peak time (16:00-20:00) this indicates that you have the potential to flex your electricity use.
3. The extent to which you can engage other household members in turning down their electricity use at peak time.
4. There is no essential need to use energy at peak times. If you or a family member rely on electricity – such as for medical equipment – then it won’t be possible to flex your usage.

If you meet the above criteria, you could save by flexing your energy usage. If you have a smart meter, you could test your potential. Minimise your electricity use to between 4-8 pm one day, taking a reading at 8 pm. Compare this to a meter reading taken at the same time on a normal day and see the difference.

The following websites review smart technologies. Please check whether reviews are independent.