Smart meter customer resources
With a smart meter, you can now see your detailed consumption data in your My Opus Energy account. By default, we will show you consumption for 30-minute intervals. You can then use this data to make informed choices and control when you use the most energy.
Use energy more efficiently
Use energy more efficiently
Now that you have a smart meter, you can more accurately understand the impact of energy efficiency efforts as you can see the peaks and troughs of detailed usage in your online account. We've prepared a few tips, starting with ones that you can implement straight away, and shared tailored advice in the Energy Efficiency section.
How did the installation go?
We strive to provide you with a great service; from communicating the benefits of smart meters, to giving you a good experience during the installation and helping you understand how to be more energy efficient afterwards.
As part of our commitment to SMICoP (Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice) you might be invited to a survey by an independent research company to share your experience of having a smart meter installed. We recommend you are honest in your appraisal and we welcome your feedback to help us and our partners improve.
If you would also like to give us feedback directly, please fill in the form below.
Your smart data sharing
Previously, customers have been able to opt to share their smart data with us every day or month rather than every 30 minutes. From 3 November 2022, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) have made half hourly data sharing mandatory. This applies to all energy suppliers and is not specific to Opus Energy. You’ll retain the ability to opt out until you install a new smart meter, start a new contract with us, or switch to a new supplier. Once you start a new contract with us, or another supplier, or install a new smart meter you’ll switch to half hourly data sharing.
The Government has made this mandatory because half hourly data can allow the UK energy system to:
- Identify and respond to unplanned power outages more quickly
- Better balance supply and demand, which then helps to reduce waste and costs
- Make the most of renewable energy like wind and solar (you can find out more about how this works at smartenergygb.org if you're interested)
For suppliers, half hourly data can help us create relevant offers and tariffs based on what you actually use. And the more customer data we have access to, the better we can forecast energy use and reflect that in competitive prices.
You can reach us Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Call: 0800 668 1337
Email: smart.operations@opusenergy.com
The more meter reads you allow us to collect, the more we can show in your online account in return.
Your first bill with a smart meter
It's quite likely that part of your first bill will still be based on estimated reads. The reason for this is that you probably won't have your meter installed the same day as your most recent bill is generated. So we will still need to estimate your consumption up to the point of when the smart meter is connected to our systems. It should all be automated from then onwards.
You should also know that your first bill with smart meter may be higher than expected. The reason is that an accurate read has caused an initial spike between what we were previously estimating your consumption to be and what it really was. If you hadn’t provided us with a recent or regular read before the installation, the estimations were likely incorrect. This should not be a problem going forward as your bills will be based on accurate reads from now on.
How to use your smart meter
One of the benefits of smart meters is that you won’t have the submit meter reads anymore. But if you ever need to check your energy use or browse the options, the steps you need to take depend on the meter you have. Select one of the guides below:
Smart meter FAQ's
1. I'm moving premises, can I take the smart meter with me?
No, unfortunately you can’t. However, when you agree a new contract with us for the new premises, we’ll happily come and install a new smart meter at no extra cost.
2. I have a smart meter but I have been asked to provide meter readings, why is this?
Smart meters, just like our computers, mobile phones or any other modern devices, may not always work as expected. In case there is ever a problem with getting automatic reads from your meter, we will write to you to let you know that we might need you to submit reads until the connection is re-established. We will be in touch with you to arrange an appointment for an engineer to come and fix the meter.
3. My first bill is higher than usual. Is my smart meter broken?
No, your smart meter is not broken. The reason your first bill with a smart meter may be higher than expected is that an accurate read has caused an initial spike between what we were previously estimating your consumption to be and what it really was. If you hadn’t provided us with a recent or regular read before the installation, the estimations were likely incorrect. This should not be a problem going forward as your bills will be based on accurate reads from now on.
4. Why do I still have estimated consumption on my bill if I have a smart meter?
It's quite likely that part of your first bill will still be based on estimated reads. The reason for this is that you probably won't have your meter installed the same day as your most recent bill is generated. So we will still need to estimate your consumption up to the point of when the smart meter is automatically connected to our systems. It should all be automated from then onwards.
5. I have a smart meter installed by a different supplier, can I still transfer to Opus Energy?
Yes. But depending on the type of meter you have, you might lose some of the functionality. For example, it's possible that you will have to start submitting reads on a regular basis again, turning it into a regular meter. This loss of functionality is temporary, only applies to specific smart meters and it's expected to be fixed in the second half of 2019. You can read more about it on the DCC website or feel free to raise any concerns with our Smart Operations team on 0800 6681337 or by email.
6. How can I encourage my employees to be more energy efficient?
Involving your employees in understanding energy use is one of the best ways to achieve your efficiency goals. To motivate them, try to make it into a competition. Why not offer a free lunch to the team that comes up with the most energy saving ideas or commit to donating the savings to a local charity that they choose? You can find more tips in our energy efficiency guides.
If the meter isn't working as expected
Smart meters, just like our computers, mobile phones or any other modern devices, may not always work as expected. If you suspect there is a problem with your meter, please get in touch with our metering teams. Their in-depth knowledge will be best-placed to ensure any issues are fixed as fast as possible. Don't worry, if we need to replace your smart meter with a new one, we won't charge you for it.
Our teams are available Monday to Friday 8am-6pm.
For electricity, call 0843 2272352
For gas, call 0845 2637201
If you have a power cut or you can smell gas, please follow the emergency advice.