Martin Lewis issues smart meters warning as customers pay more to avoid

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Martin Lewis has raised concerns over the high number of malfunctioning smart meters, with reports suggesting that up to one in five are not operating as they should.

The financial guru has urged new Energy Secretary Ed Miliband to address the widespread issue of faulty smart meters, criticising the industry's 'heavy handed' approach to encouraging customers to install these devices, many of which are reportedly not functioning correctly.

Lewis revealed that a significant number of his followers actively seek out deals that do not require the installation of a smart meter, indicating a strong desire to avoid them due to their known problems, reports the Express.

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In an open letter to the Energy Secretary, Martin Lewis stated: "Too many smart meters don't work. The industry can pump all the money it likes at marketing them, but when word of mouth is often saying 'don't bother', it's tough to shift the dial. I am regularly contacted by people asking 'What's the best tariff I can get without having to fit a smart meter?' as many who don't have one now are willing to pay more to avoid getting one."

He added: "Our latest MSE research (via statistically representative polling), which asked people if their smart meters work, shows 19% say theirs don't work. The reason this is so much higher is that it includes everything people feel has gone wrong, including in-home displays that won't communicate or connect, incorrect data on tariffs or usage, and prepay top-ups that don't register correctly. These aren't in the official stats."

"When it comes to installations, it's undoubtable many of the low-hanging fruit have now been picked. This means providers are having to use more forceful language and exclude customers from better deals to try and heavy-hand them into having a smart meter all of which risks breeding resentment."

Martin called on the government to shift its enforcement strategy on energy companies, moving away from installation targets and focusing on the overall number of functioning smart meters, which would result in more broken meters being repaired for customers.