Smart meters: compensation payments for thousands of UK households after Ofgem rule change - how to claim

• Yorkshire households facing smart meter delays or failed installations could be owed £40 compensation
• New Ofgem rules come into force from February 2026, targeting missed appointments and long waits
• Payments should be made automatically when suppliers are at fault
• Compensation applies to delays over six weeks, failed installs, or slow responses to reported issues
• Customers are advised to keep records and check bills to ensure the credit is applied

Yorkshire households could soon be owed £40 in compensation, as tougher new rules for energy suppliers come into force from next month.

Those who have been left waiting for a smart meter or had an installation fall through will be entitled to the payouts.

The changes, announced by energy regulator Ofgem, are designed to put more pressure on suppliers to fix delays, failed appointments and faulty meters, while giving consumers an automatic paymeny when things go wrong.

For many households, the biggest frustration hasn’t been smart meters themselves, but the process of getting one fitted or repaired. Missed appointments, long waits and broken meters have been common complaints.

From February 2026, those problems should come with a clear financial consequence for suppliers.

When will you get £40?

Under the new guaranteed standards, households will be entitled to £40 compensation in several situations, all of which must be within the supplier’s control. These include:

• Waiting more than six weeks for a smart meter installation appointment
• An installation appointment failing due to a supplier fault
• A supplier failing to provide a resolution plan within five working days after you report a smart meter issue

In these cases, the £40 payment should be made automatically, without customers needing to argue their case or submit lengthy complaints.

Ofgem says the updated rules will support the continued rollout of smart meters across the UK, where more than 70% of households already have a smart or advanced meter installed.

The regulator also said that over 900,000 previously non-operating smart meters have been repaired or replaced since 2024.

Sign up for our daily newsletter - breaking headlines and leading news sent to your inbox.

What do customers need to do?

In most cases, nothing. If your supplier breaches the new standards, the £40 compensation should be paid automatically, usually as a credit to your energy account. But there are a few steps worth taking to protect yourself:

• Keep a record of installation dates, missed appointments and fault reports
• Report problems promptly and note when you first contacted your supplier
• Check your bill or online account to ensure the compensation has been applied

If the payment doesn’t appear, you can contact your supplier and reference Ofgem’s guaranteed standards of performance for smart meters.

Ofgem says smart meters can help households access more accurate bills, cheaper tariffs and real-time energy tracking, but only if they work properly.

Deputy director Melissa Giordano said the new rules are about setting clear expectations and protecting consumers when suppliers fall short.

Ofgem plans to review the standards again in early 2027 to ensure they are still working in customers’ favour.