Smart meter installations increased by 11% in May 2022 compared to the month prior – with 207,000 installations across GB.
This is compared to 186,000 in April, however it is still 5% less than May 2021, according to ElectraLink’s latest data.
The regions with the highest installation figures for May 2022 are East England (26,000), Southern England (23,000) and the East Midlands (20,000), which ElectraLink said was on trend with regional figures over the past few years.
GB’s cumulative smart meter installations have now reached 18.25 million.
Indeed, the 18 million milestone was hit during April, when there were were 186,000 installations – although this was down 17% on March 2022 and 15% year-on-year.
ElectraLink said that while fluctuations between monthly installation rates occur often, “suppliers are still under pressure from Ofgem to meet smart meter rollout targets set for 2022, despite shifting customer bases as a result of many Supplier of Last Resort events”.
Ofgem published an open letter to suppliers a few months ago in which it said it recognised the “significant pressure” on the energy retail market from the second half of 2021, but that it expects suppliers to be “actively working” to meet the challenge of increased targets from soaring customer numbers due to supplier failures.
During 2021, 27 energy suppliers collapsed while Bulb entered special administration, with this driven by the increases in power prices.
So far this year, Whoop Energy, Xcel Power Limited and Together Energy have all gone under.
