Martin Lewis issues 'perverse' warning to British Gas, Octopus, OVO, EDF, EON customers

James Rodger
·2-min read
Martin Lewis issues 'perverse' warning to British Gas, Octopus, OVO, EDF, EON customers
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Martin Lewis has warned people who have a smart meter "it's perverse" as he hit out at the new Labour Party government over a shambolic rollout. The BBC Sounds podcast host has spoken out over the poor performance of smart meters in the UK.

Warning British Gas, EDF, EON and Ovo customers, as well as those with Octopus, Mr Lewis - the Money Saving Expert star - wrote to Ed Miliband. The ITV regular posted the open letter to the Labour MP and Energy Secretary to Twitter/x too.

Mr Lewis wrote to Mr Miliband Tuesday morning calling on the Government to shift its “perverse” targets away from installing new devices to fixing those already in homes. He said: “Too many resources are focused on installations, not repairs, leaving more existing meters not working properly. Repairs can be slow, if they happen at all, leaving consumers frustrated and at risk of mis-billing and further problems.”

READ MORE OVO warns 'affected' energy customers 'we will contact you directly'

He added: “Smart meters, done right, offer an exciting future. It’s just a shame the overly long history of the smart meter rollout is one of sloth, poor decisions, poor technology and over-expense.” A government spokesman said: “As recognised by Martin Lewis, smart meters help people manage their energy use and save money on their bills.

“While over 90 per cent of smart meters are operating normally, the number in traditional mode is still too high – meaning many households are missing out on cheaper, flexible tariffs. We expect energy suppliers to resolve any issues with their customers’ meters at a much faster pace, with Ofgem responsible for holding them to account.”

Until this year customers had to pay to fix any problems that occurred after their year-long warranty expired. In February, Ofgem launched a new scheme that committed participating suppliers to repairing them for free, but not all firms have signed up.

A report by the House of Commons public accounts committee found that suppliers were prioritising new installations over repairs in order to meet rollout targets.

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