British Gas, EDF, OVO customers warned they face having to 'overpay' on next bill

British Gas, EDF and OVO customers risk overpaying on bills due to supplier 6-month delays. Around 3.5 million homes across Britain have smart meters that are stuck in what is called "dumb mode," meaning they can no longer communicate with energy suppliers.

This leaves many people unable to track their energy usage or receive accurate bills. New figures show 1.4 million households have been waiting over six months for repairs, amid the Cost of Living crisis which has seen bills rise to £1717.

British Gas has the highest rate of faulty meters, with 16.3 per cent of their smart meters stuck in dumb mode. Scottish Power follows with 14.5 per cent, while EDF Energy has 12.1 per cent of meters affected. OVO's rate is at five per cent.

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Richard Neudegg, Director of Regulation at Uswitch said: "A working smart meter can save households time and money, helping them track and reduce their daily energy usage. It also helps consumers access cheaper energy prices when demand is low or there is lots of renewable energy available on the grid."

Neudegg contined: "While the vast majority of smart meters are working as they should, it's vitally important that the industry takes urgent action to fix the disconnected smart meters, to give those customers back the benefits and help reassure households who have delayed getting one so far."

Neudegg concluded: “There are multiple ways the roll-out could have been improved, but the important thing is helping more consumers reap the benefits as quickly as possible. Fixing disconnected smart meters and restoring consumer confidence in their reliability are fundamental to this.

“If your smart meter’s in-home display is not working, there are other ways to view your smart meter data. The Uswitch app, for example, connects to your smart meter to help you track your daily energy usage from your phone instead.”