About business smart meters

Shell Energy has committed to the Retail Energy Code to ensure the best experience for our customers. The Retail Energy Code is a set of rules that energy suppliers must meet when installing smart meters in homes and small businesses. These rules help ensure that customers receive the information and support they need in order to use their smart meter. Visit retailenergycode.co.uk for more information.

Shell Energy UK has a Calculated Planned Annual Target to install 122 gas, and 54 electricity, Qualifying metering Systems to Qualifying Relevant Premises during 2023.

The Smart Meter Installation Schedule (SMIS) was formerly known as the Smart Meter Installation Code of Practice (SMICoP). This is a Code of Practice for Suppliers in relation to the Customer-facing aspects of the installation of Smart Metering Systems and is a schedule of the Retail Energy Code. The main objectives of the SMIS are to make sure that the customer receives a high standard of service throughout the installation process, and knows how to use, and benefit from, the smart metering equipment to improve their energy efficiency.

A smart meter accurately measures your electricity or gas usage and then sends regular updates on your energy usage to your energy supplier. Installing a smart meter means you will no longer need to take manual electricity or gas readings.

There are two types of smart meter – first and second generation.

We will install second generation smart meters, known as SMETS2. These have been the default meter installed from 2018. When installed, second generation smart meters are linked to the central wireless network as standard.

First generation smart meters will transit your energy usage but can lose functionality when you switch supplier. There’s a fix in place to mitigate the risk of this issue by remotely connecting first generation meters to the central wireless network.

Your smart meter will use mobile technology to measure energy consumption at your business, monitor your usage and transmit the data to your energy supplier via a central wireless network. They replace your old analogue meters at no extra cost.

A smart meter is different to a traditional meter. It uses different technology and transmits your energy usage to your energy supplier. A traditional meter tracks your usage but does not communicate this to your supplier.

Smart meters send a lot more information, including: cumulative kWh usage, daily usage, peak kW demand, voltage information, outage information, time of use kWh and peak kW readings. They also send tamper notifications to the energy supplier.

Your business can benefit from:

• Better account management - real-time data keeps your bills accurate.

• Operational efficiency - there's no need to provide manual meter reads, saving your business time and resource.

• Smarter issue resolution - supply issues can be identified and diagnosed earlier, limiting operational downtime.

Your smart meter data can be used to visualise your usage. This can be accessed via our online self-serve portal . If you change your meter readings to be half-hourly, you’ll also get a detailed overview of how your energy usage fluctuates throughout the day.

If you do not want us to do anything with your smart meter consumption data other than calculate your bills then it’s easy to opt out, simply contact us or email SEUKL-Smartmeter@shell.com to update your preferences.

A smart meter will ensure you receive more accurate energy invoices. It will also cut operational costs associated with manual meter reads. However, on its own a smart meter will not improve the energy efficiency of your business. To access energy efficiency advice for your business, click here. 

Whilst there are many benefits associated with smart meters it is not a legal requirement to have a smart meter installed.

Your smart meter will record your usage and unit cost information which is then accessed by us and our metering partners remotely. Your smart meter data will not be shared with other parties without your permission. For more information, view our Privacy Policy.

Yes – every home across Great Britain will be offered a smart meter before the end of 2025. If you run your business from home, you will be eligible for a smart meter too.

Yes, if we supply both utilities, we can arrange for a dual fuel engineer to attend your site and switch both meters at the same time. If your gas is supplied by another energy supplier, you will need to contact them to upgrade your gas meter to a smart meter.

An electricity smart meter is powered directly from your electricity supply. In case of power failures, your smart meter will save your information, so that it can be restored when the power is returned.

A gas smart meter is powered by a battery that sits within the meter. The battery is designed to last over ten years. We will be alerted if a replacement is required.

All of our smart meters are certified to the strict security standards set out in our Supplier License and the Smart Energy Code (SEC) and are operated according to UK and EU safety regulations. Smart meters use secure mobile technology to send your reads to our systems, ensuring we have the most up-to-date information for accurate billing. The Public Health England’s (PHE) website has more details about the safety of smart meters.

If you use more than 100,000 kWh electricity, or more than 293,000 kWh gas a year and you are not a microbusiness you can choose between an Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) meter or a SMETS2 smart meter. Both offer similar benefits, depending on your needs – see the comparison table below.

If you choose an AMR meter now and want to change to a new SMETS2 meter in the future, you may be charged for a new meter.

To request an AMR meter, or smart meter please get in touch.