Smart meters when you switch

One of the most common concerns when switching energy supplier is whether your smart meter will keep working. The honest answer is: it depends on what type you have, but it almost always sorts itself out within a few days to a few weeks.

If you have a SMETS2 meter

This is the smoothest experience. SMETS2 meters communicate through the national DCC network rather than directly with your supplier, so they’re designed to survive a switch without any disruption.

In practice, there’s often a short gap of a few days where the meter doesn’t send readings to Octopus. This happens because the systems need time to register your meter against your new account. The meter itself keeps recording your usage accurately throughout this period. Nothing is lost.

During this gap, submit a manual reading through the Octopus app or website when you first set up your account. This ensures your opening balance is correct. Within a few days (sometimes hours), the smart connection should re-establish itself and automatic half-hourly readings will start flowing.

Your in-home display might briefly lose connection too. It usually reconnects on its own once the DCC registers the new supplier. If it doesn’t come back within a week or so, try restarting it by removing it from the charger for 30 seconds.

If you have a SMETS1 meter

This is where things get more variable. SMETS1 meters were built to communicate directly with the supplier who installed them. When you switch away from that supplier, the direct communication link typically breaks.

What this means in practice:

• The meter keeps recording your usage accurately. Your bills will still be correct as long as you submit manual readings.
• The meter stops sending readings remotely. Octopus won’t receive automatic data.
• Your in-home display will likely go blank or show “waiting for data.”
• You lose access to half-hourly consumption data in the app until the meter is reconnected.

The good news is that the vast majority of SMETS1 meters have now been enrolled onto the DCC network through a national migration programme. If yours is already enrolled, it should reconnect to Octopus within a few days to a few weeks, just like a SMETS2 meter.

If your SMETS1 meter hasn’t been enrolled (a small minority at this point), Octopus will offer a free meter exchange. They’ll replace your SMETS1 with a brand new SMETS2 meter. While you wait for either enrolment or a replacement, submit manual meter readings through the app every month. Your billing won’t be affected as long as you keep readings up to date.

If you don’t have a smart meter at all

Plenty of homes still have traditional meters with no smart capability. Switching to Octopus with a traditional meter is perfectly fine. You’ll go onto the Flexible tariff (or whichever tariff doesn’t require smart functionality) and submit manual readings.

Octopus will offer you a free smart meter installation after you’ve switched. You’re under no obligation to accept, but there are good reasons to. A smart meter means:

• No more manual readings
• Access to half-hourly consumption data in the app
• Eligibility for smart tariffs like Agile, Go, Intelligent Go, Cosy, Tracker and Flux
• More accurate bills (no more estimated readings)

If you want a smart meter, you can book an installation through the Octopus app or website once your account is active. An engineer visits your property, replaces your existing gas and electricity meters with smart equivalents and sets up the in-home display. The whole process takes roughly 30 to 60 minutes.

You don’t need to be with Octopus for any minimum period before requesting one. Some people book it within their first week.

The smart tariff timeline

If you’re switching to Octopus specifically to get onto a smart tariff, here’s the realistic timeline:

1. Day 1: You sign up to switch. You’ll initially be placed on Flexible (the standard tariff).
2. Days 1-3: The switch completes. Octopus now typically processes switches within about 3 working days. Your old supplier closes your account and Octopus takes over. You have a 14-day cooling-off period if you change your mind.
3. Days 3-14: Your smart meter connects to Octopus’s systems (SMETS2) or enrolment is confirmed (SMETS1). If you need a new smart meter installed, you book an appointment.
4. Once connected: You can request a switch to your chosen smart tariff through the app. Octopus usually processes this within a day or two.

For most people with a SMETS2 meter, you could be on a smart tariff within 1 to 2 weeks of signing up. With an enrolled SMETS1 meter, allow a similar timeframe. If you need a new meter installed, allow 2 to 4 weeks depending on appointment availability in your area.

What about prepayment meters?

If you’re currently on a prepayment meter, Octopus can usually switch you to credit mode (pay monthly by direct debit) as part of the switch. If you have a smart prepayment meter, this can sometimes be done remotely. If you have a traditional prepayment meter, it may need a physical meter exchange.

Contact Octopus to discuss your specific situation before switching. They’re generally very accommodating with prepayment customers, provided there’s no outstanding debt on the account.