Smart meters:

what you can

expect from us
 We’re all about putting your needs first. That’s a big part of our industry’s
Smart Meter Installation Code of Practice.
This guide shows you how we live up to that by:
• Making your switch to smart meters as trouble-free as we can
• Making sure you can still change tariffs and suppliers
• Helping you understand your energy and save money
• Protecting your personal data and your rights

Making your switch to smart meters as trouble-free

as we can
Before you get your smart meters
It usually takes about an hour and a half to fit If you have your gas and electricity with us we’ll
one meter and two and a half hours to fit two. do our best to fit both your smart meters at the
And the upgrade to smart meters is free. same time. If we can’t, we’ll tell you why and be
We’ll agree a time to fit your meters that suits clear about what happens next.
you. You or another adult will need to be there,
as we’ll have to turn the gas and electricity
off while we do the work. If that will cause you
problems, let us know when you book
the appointment.
Fitting your smart meters
When they come to fit your meters, our
engineers will let you know who they are, show
you their photo ID and explain what they’ve
come to do. We’ll try to let you know in advance
if we need more than one person to do the work.
They’ll also be in British Gas uniform. And they’ll
leave your home exactly as they found it.
As part of installing your new meters, the
engineers will check your gas appliances and
disconnect them if there are any signs they’re
not safe, like smoke damage to the boiler. They’ll
do their best to do repairs on the spot so you’re
not left without hot water or heating.
Our engineers will talk to you to find the best
place for your smart energy monitor. They’ll
show you how to use it and explain how the
monitor and the smart meters work. They’ll
also leave you a guide that explains this in more
detail. If you have Smart Pay As You Go meters
installed our engineers will also run through how
to get credit so you know how to top up.
Making sure you can still change tariffs and suppliers
Changing tariffs
Once you’ve got smart meters, you’ll be able
to change tariffs quickly and easily, just as you
can now.
Changing suppliers
You’ll still be able to change suppliers, but not all
suppliers are offering smart meters yet. If your
For extra support you can sign up for our free
Priority Services Register. This could include
getting your bills in an alternative format, such
as large print or braille, and a password scheme
so if we’re visiting, you’ll know it’s us at your
door. You can find out more about the register
by calling us on 0800 072 8625* (Textphone
18001 0800 072 8626).
Suggesting products and services
We won’t sell you anything. Our engineers
might give you information about products
and services that could save you money, but
only if you’ve said we can when we fix the
appointment. They’ll only suggest things they
think you might need and they won’t put you
under any pressure. We want you to have time
to think about what our engineers suggest so
you can ask for more information later if you
need it. Also, you can end the conversation at
any point.
new supplier isn’t offering them, your smart
meters will work like normal meters until the
supplier can support them.
If you have Smart Pay As You Go meters
installed and you leave British Gas, your new
supplier might not be able to support them.
They’ll tell you if you need new meters that
let you top up as before.
You'll get
a free smart
energy monitor
with your smart
meters
 Helping you understand your energy and save money
Our engineers will tell you how smart meters Get more tips and ideas at
can show you more about how you’re using britishgas.co.uk/energysavingtips
energy. They’ll show you how to use that or call us free on 0800 980 6121*,
knowledge to make your home more energy textphone 1800 0800 072 8626.
efficient. And they’ll give you advice on The Energy Saving Trust also has more
saving energy. information at energysavingtrust.org.uk
You’ll get a free smart energy monitor with To find out more about the smart meter
your smart meters. The digital screen makes roll out visit smartenergygb.org
it easy to keep an eye on how much energy
you’re using and where you might be able to
make savings.

Protecting your personal data and your rights

What we use your data for What rules are there about how
We’ll use your meter readings to work out your we use your data?
bills, and to create a personalised breakdown of We stick to the energy industry Data Guide.
your energy use. It also helps us buy energy at You can see it at energy-uk.org.uk/policy/
the best rates so we can keep prices down. smart-meters
The choices you have about These are some of the main points:

your data • We won’t use data from your smart meters
for marketing products and services to you
(unless you’ve said we can)
You choose how often your smart
meters take meter readings – it can be • We’ll take care of your data, and keep it
half hourly, daily or monthly. Whichever secure to stop it being misused
option you choose, the readings will never • If you leave us, we won’t then have access
be sent to us more than once a day. And to data from your smart meters
you can change your preference at any
time by calling free on 0800 980 6121*.
The more meter readings we get, the
more detailed breakdown of your usage
we can give you.

We’ll confirm in writing how often we’ll take

readings, along with what we’ll use the data for.
We’ll do that once a year – and you can change
your mind any time.

*We record calls to help improve our service to you. Calls to 0800 numbers are free from mobiles and landlines.
British Gas is a signatory to the Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice (SMICoP) which has been approved by OFGEM.
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British Gas is the trading name of British Gas Trading Limited. Registered in England & Wales (Registered No. 03078711).
Registered Office for British Gas Group companies is: Millstream, Maidenhead Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 5GD. britishgas.co.uk