who owns the smart meters and will i be charged for it if i move providers

Bubblymez

British Gas have just replaced my smart meter as the previous one stopped sending the info 2 months ago.  I am looking to change from them but not sure if they will charge me for the meter as it was just installed - i did go onto the BG chat but was over 90 in the queue.

Mark_d

I've never been charged for a meter when I changed suppliers.  So I suggest you just ahead and switch

la531983

No, they wont charge you for the meter. It doesnt need you to waste any time in a queue.

Netexporter

Bubblymez said:

British Gas have just replaced my smart meter as the previous one stopped sending the info 2 months ago.  I am looking to change from them but not sure if they will charge me for the meter as it was just installed - i did go onto the BG chat but was over 90 in the queue.

The meter belongs to whoever is supplying energy. If you change supplier the meter will become the responsibility of the new supplier.

MyRealNameToo

Bubblymez said:

British Gas have just replaced my smart meter as the previous one stopped sending the info 2 months ago.  I am looking to change from them but not sure if they will charge me for the meter as it was just installed - i did go onto the BG chat but was over 90 in the queue.

The meters and local cabling is owned by and maintained by the local energy distribution company not your energy supplier hence when you switch supplier they dont have to come out and hook you up to their grid.  The distribution company won't change when you switch suppliers. 

onthemend

No, I was with BG and now I'm with Octopus, no costs involved to switch.

Bubblymez

Thanks for all your replies very helpful i will now go ahead.

Bubblymez

this was my first post/question and i have to say the response was amazing.

Ildhund

Time you got the right answer, then!

Meters are provided free of charge by the supplier. Each meter may in fact belong to a separate company, who lease it to the supplier at the time. When a new supplier takes over, the lease is taken over too. Many meters have a marking on them to say who the actual owner is:
 
  

(SMS is a major actor on the smart metering stage).

You don't have to bother about it. If your meter needs maintenance or replacement, you should contact the supplier, who has sole responsibility for it. The Distribution Network Operator (DNO)'s interest ends at the 'service head', the end of the big cable coming into the property from outside. It terminates in a 'cut-out' containing the main fuse, and the supplier will make the connection from the service head to the meter.