The national smart meter network operated by the Data Communications Company (DCC) now has over 17 million meters connected.
In its review of 2021, the DCC outlined how 8 million smart meters were added in 2021, an 87% increase.
Indeed, the network started the year with 9.2 million smart meters before hitting the 10 million milestone in February and the 15 million milestone in September.
The biggest month was August 2021, when over 1 million meters were connected.
It follows a slow year for the smart meter rollout in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with installations halted during the first lockdown.
Meanwhile, 2021 also saw first generation smart meters on the network more than double to 7.1 million, with the meters receiving a software upgrade to enable them to operate on the DCC network. Meanwhile, second generation smart meters continued with a steady trajectory, the DCC said.
In 2021, British smart meters sent and received 6 billion messages, with this data being used by suppliers and network operators to help balance the network and make best use of renewables, the DCC said.
“2021 was the biggest year yet for the national smart meter rollout,” said Smart DCC CEO Angus Flett, adding that 2022 will be the year that smart meters outnumber traditional analogue meters.
