Billing Remains the Strongest Metering-Related Driver

The research found that customer satisfaction with billing is one of the strongest predictors of overall satisfaction with an energy supplier. Consumers place significant value on receiving accurate bills, understanding those bills, and receiving them on time. Where billing performance is perceived to be poor, overall supplier satisfaction falls substantially.

For the metering industry, this reinforces the importance of accurate meter readings, timely data flows, effective settlement processes, and the ongoing transition to smart metering. Meter asset providers, meter operators, data services organisations and suppliers all play a role in ensuring customers receive bills they can trust. 

Smart Meters Influence Supplier Satisfaction

The study identified satisfaction with smart meters as a significant predictor of overall customer satisfaction, ranking behind billing and ease of contact with suppliers. Customers who are satisfied with the performance of their smart meter are more likely to report higher levels of satisfaction with their energy supplier overall. 

This aligns with wider government and industry findings showing continued improvements in smart meter performance and consumer confidence. Government data referenced in the smart metering policy framework shows that satisfaction with smart meters increased from 72% to 76% during 2024-25, while dissatisfaction fell from 10% to 7%. 

Reliable Meter Data Underpins Customer Experience

The research highlights that customer perceptions are shaped not only by supplier interactions but also by the quality of underlying operational processes. Accurate meter data supports:

• Correct and timely billing.
• Reduced customer complaints and disputes.
• Improved confidence in energy consumption information.
• Better access to time-of-use and smart tariffs.
• Enhanced customer engagement with energy usage.

As suppliers increasingly offer flexible tariffs and demand-side participation programmes, dependable smart meter data will become even more critical in delivering positive customer outcomes. 

Customer Service and Metering Must Work Together

While billing and smart metering performance are important, the research found that ease of contacting suppliers and effective handling of customer enquiries remain major influences on satisfaction. For meter-related issues, customers ultimately judge their experience based on how quickly problems are resolved, whether accurate information is provided, and whether the issue is fully addressed.

This suggests an increasing need for closer collaboration between suppliers, meter operators, meter asset providers and data services organisations to deliver a seamless customer journey when metering issues arise.

Implications for Metering UK Members

The research provides further evidence that metering has moved beyond an operational function and is now a key component of the consumer experience. Accurate metering data, reliable smart meter performance, effective asset management and timely fault resolution all contribute directly to customer satisfaction and trust in the energy market. 

As the industry continues its transition towards a smarter, more flexible energy system, Metering UK members have a critical role in ensuring that metering infrastructure, data quality and customer outcomes remain at the heart of service delivery.

The research involved two large-scale randomised controlled trials with more than 43,000 customers from British Gas and ScottishPower. Using half-hourly smart meter data, surveys and customer interviews, Ofgem assessed whether linking standing charge rebates to reduced peak-time electricity consumption could influence consumer behaviour. 

Key findings indicate that standing charge rebates can encourage some households to lower electricity usage between 4pm and 7pm, although the overall impact was modest and observed consistently in only one of the two trials. Increasing the value of the rebate produced only limited additional reductions in peak-time consumption, suggesting that larger financial incentives alone may not significantly increase participation.

Notably, customers in vulnerable circumstances, including some prepayment meter users and those registered on the Priority Services Register, demonstrated relatively strong responses to the incentives. Participants also reported that the rebate structure gave them greater control over their energy use and helped address some of the negative perceptions associated with standing charges. 

The research identified several barriers to sustained behavioural change, including household routines, competing commitments, forgetting peak periods and difficulties recognising potential savings. These findings suggest that future flexibility programmes may need to combine financial incentives with clear communications, customer engagement and user-friendly technologies. 

For the metering sector, the trials demonstrate the continuing importance of smart meter data in enabling innovative tariff designs, understanding customer behaviour and supporting the transition to a more flexible energy system. The research will help inform future decisions on standing charges, consumer flexibility propositions and wider retail market reforms.

The IMF and JIP have played a significant role in supporting the smart meter rollout, providing a collaborative forum for industry, Government and stakeholders to identify, escalate and manage issues affecting programme delivery. Over the years, these arrangements have helped facilitate engagement, coordination and oversight across the smart metering landscape.

DESNZ has advised that the decision reflects the progress made in the smart meter programme and the evolution of governance and stakeholder engagement arrangements now in place across the sector. The Department considers that existing governance structures provide the appropriate mechanisms for oversight and engagement going forward.

While the IMF and JIP have now closed, DESNZ has confirmed its continued commitment to overseeing programme delivery and engaging with stakeholders on policy and implementation matters. Should future developments require enhanced coordination or issue management, the Department has indicated that similar governance arrangements could be established to support effective oversight and industry engagement.

No further IMF meetings will be convened, and any outstanding matters will be transitioned to the appropriate owners and managed through existing governance processes.

Ofgem has published its second preliminary Strategic Direction Statement (SDS), setting out how it expects energy industry codes to evolve in support of government policy, market reform and the transition to a smarter, more flexible energy system. The SDS is intended to provide a coordinated framework for prioritising code changes and guiding future decision-making across the energy sector.

The updated SDS builds on the first preliminary statement issued in 2025 and reflects stakeholder feedback, policy developments and emerging industry priorities. It identifies areas where code modifications may be required over the next one to five years and categorises these against three delivery horizons:‘Act Now’, ‘Think and Plan’, and ‘Listen and Wait’. This approach is designed to help industry focus resources on the most strategically important changes while providing greater visibility of future reform requirements. 

The statement covers a broad range of policy objectives, including consumer protection, market innovation, network development, low-carbon technology deployment, energy flexibility, system resilience and governance reform. It also aligns with the wider Energy Act 2023 reforms, which introduce a new code governance framework, licensed Code Managers and enhanced strategic oversight of industry codes. 

Alongside publication of the SDS, Ofgem has highlighted the role the document will play in coordinating strategic change across industry codes and supporting the implementation of harmonised code governance arrangements. The SDS will be reviewed and updated annually, providing an evolving roadmap for code modifications as government policy and sector priorities develop. 

For metering stakeholders, the SDS provides important insight into the regulatory and market developments that may drive future changes to the Retail Energy Code (REC), Smart Energy Code (SEC) and Balancing and Settlement Code (BSC). Topics such as smart metering, consumer-led flexibility, data sharing, low-carbon technology deployment and market digitalisation are expected to remain central themes as the industry progresses towards a more integrated and data-driven energy system.