Smart Metering Implementation Programme

Rating: Compared to financial year 24/25 Q4, the SRO Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating at 25/26 Q4 remained at AMBER. This is primarily due to the following factors: Smart metering continues to deliver benefits to consumers, such as engagement on energy consumption, accurate energy bills and improved customer service, and is key to the 2030 Clean Power Mission. There were 41 million smart and advanced meters operating across Great Britain at the end of 2025 and 71% of all meters are now smart or advanced. A new regulatory framework is now in place to drive industry to maintain high levels of operational performance whilst effectively completing the rollout by 2030. There is continued collaboration with stakeholders including energy suppliers and the Data Communications Company to drive further improvements in engagement, appointment fulfilment and operation of meters, and ensuring technology roadmaps for the next decade are suitably developed and addressed. Improvements to the network continue to be made including deployment of 4G Communications Hubs at scale and launch of the Virtual Wide Area Network solution that allows consumers to access smart metering services through their broadband (with consent).

Schedule: Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the project's end-date at 25/26-Q4 remained the same as last year at 31/12/2030. This is primarily due to the following factors: SMIP continues to make good progress with the successful delivery of the smart meter rollout in delivering its strategic outcomes. Progress continues with circa.90k+ gross installs per week and a continued increasing proportion of meters installed (71% as of end 2025) and operating as they should (92.3%). The new regulatory framework to 2030 will continue to deliver industry investment at scale and drive high levels of operational performance and smart coverage, which are key to the 2030 Clean Power Mission.

Cost: The programme’s departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at 25/26-Q4 (measured in £m) is 20177. The total whole life cost figures are presented in undiscounted nominal terms. The figure differs from the total cost figure in the Smart Metering Implementation Programme’s 2019 CBA, which is expressed in 2011 prices discounted to 2019 in line with HM Treasury appraisal guidance. This reflects the latest economic appraisal of the costs of the programme, including (but not limited to) costs from new assets, installation visits and setting up and operating the new communications infrastructure.

Source: NISTA Major Projects Annual Report 2025-26 (data)

Rating: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the Infrastructure Project Authority's Delivery Confidence Assessment rating at 24/25-Q4 remained at AMBER. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ Smart metering continues to deliver benefits to consumers, such as engagement on energy consumption, accurate energy bills and improved customer service, and is key to the 2030 Clean Power Mission and enabling Net Zero. There were 39 million smart and advanced meters operating across Great Britain at the end of Q1 2025. The 4-year Regulatory Framework to the end of 2025 sets minimum annual installation targets for energy suppliers and continues to drive suppliers to invest appropriately to deliver new installations at scale. There is continued collaboration with stakeholders including energy suppliers and the Data Communications Company to drive improvements in engagement, appointment fulfilment and the operation of meters, and ensuring technology roadmaps for the next decade are suitably developed and addressed. Driving good progress on an efficient transition from 2G/3G to 4G Communications Hubs (4G CHs) by 2033. Actively developing consultation proposals for the Regulatory Framework required for post 2025 to give investment clarity to industry. The size, scale and complexity of such an industry change programme with numerous energy sector stakeholders reflects why SMIP has remained with an AMBER rating.

Schedule: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the project's end-date at 24/25-Q4 increased from 31/12/2025 to 31/12/2030. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ SMIP’s current 4-year Regulatory Framework runs to the end of 2025 and the project end-date was set to mirror this timing. The existing Regulatory Framework sets minimum annual installation targets for energy suppliers and continues to drive suppliers to invest appropriately to deliver new installations at scale. We are actively developing consultation proposals for the Regulatory Framework required for post 2025 to give investment clarity to industry and support the Government’s 2030 Clean Power mission, the project end-date has been updated to reflect this.

Cost: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the project's departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at 24/25-Q4 (measured in £m) remained at 20177. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ The total whole life cost figures in this return are presented in undiscounted nominal terms, for comparability with other programmes. The figure differs from the total cost figure in the Smart Metering Implementation Programme’s 2019 CBA, which is expressed in 2011 prices discounted to 2019 in line with HM Treasury appraisal guidance. This reflects the latest economic appraisal of the costs (and benefits) of the programme, including (but not limited to) costs from new assets and installation, setting up new communications infrastructure, and benefits including (but not limited to) reduced energy consumption, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced site visits by suppliers, improved network management, and improved customer switching.

Source: NISTA Annual Report 2024-25 (data)

Rating: Compared to financial year 22/23-Q4, the Senior Responsible Owner's Delivery Confidence Assessment rating at 23/24-Q4 remained at Amber. This is primarily due to the following factors. The IPA and SRO DCA rating has continued to be Amber, based on the following: - There were 35.5 million smart and advanced meters operating across Great Britain at the end of March 2024. - Continuing implementation of a 4-year regulatory framework to the end of 2025 which sets minimum annual installation targets for energy suppliers. This ensures that suppliers continue to deliver new installations at scale, bringing smart metering benefits to consumers, such as feedback on energy consumption (evaluation shows this leads to reductions in energy use), accurate energy bills and improved customer service. - Continued collaboration with energy suppliers to recruit, train and maintain the installer workforce required for delivering smart meters and the supporting consumer engagement (e.g. energy efficiency advice). - Driving the 4G Transition including operational planning, to enable an efficient transition to 4G installs and completion of the 4G upgrade for 2G/3G Communication Hubs by 2033.

Schedule: Compared to financial year 22/23-Q4, the project's end-date at 23/24-Q4 remained schedule to finish on 2025-12-31. This is primarily due to the following factors. The new four-year installation Targets Framework commenced on 1 January 2022 and will end on 31 December 2025.

Cost: Compared to financial year 22/23-Q4, the project's departmental-agree Whole Life Cost at 23/24-Q4 remained at 20177m. This is primarily due to the following factors. The whole life cost figure now reflecting the baseline budgets that were confirmed as part of the Spending Review 2021.

Source: IPA Annual Report 2023-24 (data)