If you’ve recently had a smart meter installed or you’re considering getting one, you might be wondering whether it’ll bump up your Energy Performance Certificate rating. It’s a fair question—smart meters are marketed as tools for managing energy efficiency, and an EPC rating is all about how energy efficient your property is. Surely there’s a connection?
The short answer might surprise you. While smart meters are genuinely useful for tracking energy consumption and cutting energy bills, they don’t work the way many homeowners and landlords assume when it comes to EPCs. Let’s break down exactly what happens (and what doesn’t) when you install a smart meter, and how to actually improve your EPC rating if that’s your goal.
No, installing a smart meter in 2024 or 2025 will not directly change your EPC score or band. The assessment method simply doesn’t account for monitoring devices.
An energy performance certificate is calculated using the Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure (RdSAP) in the UK, which evaluates your building’s physical characteristics—wall construction, insulation levels, window glazing, heating system efficiency, and similar fixed features. The assessor inputs data about what your property is built from and what systems it has installed. What they don’t input is whether you have a smart meter, how you use energy, or what your actual bills look like.
That said, smart meters can indirectly support a better EPC rating when the insights they provide lead you to make physical upgrades. Here’s how that might work in practice:
A homeowner notices via their smart meter that heating costs spike dramatically during cold snaps. Investigating further, they discover their 1980s home has only 50mm of loft insulation. They upgrade to 270mm, replace their aging boiler with an A-rated condensing model, and commission a new EPC. The rating moves from D to C—not because of the smart meter, but because of the improvements it helped identify.
There’s one notable exception worth flagging: properties with electric heating systems on off-peak night tariffs (like Economy 7) can see EPC calculations influenced by the tariff structure. The meter type enables the tariff, which the EPC methodology does account for—but this is a specific scenario, not a general rule.
Here’s what you need to know at a glance about smart meters and EPC ratings:
A smart meter is a digital gas or electricity meter that automatically records how much energy your home uses and sends those readings directly to your energy supplier. No more estimated bills, no more crawling into cupboards to read tiny numbers.
Unlike traditional meters that simply tick over, smart meters communicate via a secure wireless network—specifically the Data Communications Company (DCC) network in Great Britain. Most meters installed since around 2019 are SMETS2 models, which means they’ll keep working properly even if you switch energy supplier. Earlier SMETS1 meters sometimes went “dumb” after switching, though many have now been upgraded remotely.
The key feature for most households is the in-home display (IHD) that comes with your installation. This small screen shows near real-time energy usage in both kWh and pounds, updating every few seconds for electricity. You can see exactly what it costs to boil the kettle, run the washing machine, or heat your home for an hour.
What a smart meter doesn’t do is control anything. It measures and reports energy use—it doesn’t switch off your heating or adjust your thermostat. That distinction matters when we’re talking about energy performance, because an EPC assessment is interested in what your property can do, not what you choose to do with it.
Understanding the basics helps explain why smart meters don’t factor into EPC calculations. Here’s a non-technical overview of how the system functions from meter to bill.
Your electricity and gas smart meters measure consumption continuously. The electricity meter typically records usage in real time, while the gas meter (which is battery-powered) usually takes readings every 30 minutes. Both communicate wirelessly to a central data hub operated by the DCC.
The in-home display receives information directly from your meters. For electricity, you’ll see updates every few seconds. For gas, the display refreshes roughly every half hour due to how gas meters transmit data.
Your energy supplier receives usage data according to your consent settings:
Data sharing levelWhat supplier seesBest forHalf-hourlyDetailed consumption patternsTime-of-use tariffs, detailed analysisDailyTotal daily usageStandard accurate billingMonthlyMonthly totals onlyMaximum privacy preference
This granular smart meter data enables suppliers to offer time-of-use tariffs, where electricity costs less during off peak hours. That’s beneficial if you have flexible loads like electric vehicles, storage heaters, or you’re willing to run appliances overnight.
One common concern: smart meter data is encrypted and regulated. The system cannot identify what specific appliances you’re using—only the quantity and timing of overall energy consumption. Your supplier can’t tell whether you’re watching television or running a bitcoin mining operation (though they might spot that your bills are unusually high).
An Energy Performance Certificate rates your property’s energy efficiency on a scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). Think of it as a nutritional label for buildings—it tells you how the property performs under standardised conditions.
EPCs became mandatory in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland when selling or letting most residential properties. Each certificate is valid for 10 years from the issue date and includes:
The regulatory context matters for landlords especially. Since April 2020, most private rental properties in England and Wales have needed at least a band E rating under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES). Previous government proposals to raise this to band C were withdrawn, but the direction of travel suggests standards will likely tighten eventually.
Why does your property’s energy efficiency matter beyond compliance?
Here’s the crucial point: EPC calculations assume standardised occupancy and usage patterns. The certificate rates the building itself, not how the current occupants behave. That’s precisely why smart meters—which measure actual behaviour—don’t influence the rating.
To understand why smart meters don’t affect EPCs, it helps to see what the RdSAP calculation actually considers. These are the elements an assessor evaluates:
Building fabric:
Windows and doors:
Heating and hot water systems:
Heating controls:
Renewable and low-carbon technologies:
Notice what’s missing? Smart meters. They’re simply not one of the recognised improvement measures within the EPC software. An assessor has no field to complete for “smart meter present.” That’s why installing one doesn’t directly add any points to your overall EPC rating.
Let’s be absolutely clear about the distinction between what EPC rules measure and what smart meters actually offer.
Direct impact: None
Under current RdSAP and SAP rules, assessors do not tick a “smart meter” box. Your EPC calculation includes fields for insulation depth, boiler model, window specifications, and dozens of other physical characteristics. There is no field for whether you have a smart meter installed. Installation alone leaves the EPC completely unchanged.
Indirect impact: Potentially significant
Any improvement in your EPC must come from physical changes to the property that the assessment can capture. Smart meters enable these improvements by:
Here’s a realistic scenario:
A landlord with a rental property rated E installs a smart meter and notices electric panel heaters are consuming £180 per month during winter. The smart meter usage data shows heating running almost constantly during cold spells. They upgrade to high-heat-retention storage heaters on an Economy 7 tariff and add 100mm of internal wall insulation. A new EPC assessment captures these physical changes, and the rating improves to D.
The smart meter didn’t improve the rating—but without it, the landlord might not have identified the urgency or quantified the problem.
What about bill savings?
Behavioural changes driven by smart meter data—like turning down the thermostat, reducing hot water temperature, or avoiding peak-rate electricity—can deliver substantial real-world savings. Studies suggest 10-20% reductions are achievable through heating schedule optimisation alone.
However, these savings don’t appear in the EPC. The certificate rates the asset, not the operation. For buyers, lenders, and regulators, it’s the underlying fabric and systems that signal long-term energy performance.
Here’s where things get slightly more nuanced. For homes heated entirely by electricity, the type of meter and tariff can interact with EPC assessments in ways that don’t apply to gas-heated properties.
Understanding off-peak tariffs
Common UK off-peak tariffs include:
Tariff typeOff-peak hoursBest suited forEconomy 77 hours overnight (typically 12am-7am)Storage heaters, immersion heatersEconomy 1010 hours (split overnight and afternoon)Homes with higher daytime flexibilityTime-of-use (smart)Variable by supplierEV charging, flexible loads
These tariffs are usually enabled or managed via the meter setup. A traditional single-rate meter can’t distinguish between peak and off-peak consumption.
How this affects EPC calculations
When an assessor inputs that a property has electric storage heating systems on an Economy 7 tariff, the EPC methodology applies different fuel cost assumptions. Because the heating is assumed to run mainly on cheaper overnight electricity, the calculated running costs come out lower than they would for panel heaters on a standard single-rate tariff.
This means a flat heated by modern high-heat-retention storage heaters on Economy 7 can score better than an identical flat with old panel heaters on a standard tariff—even if the physical insulation is the same.
Important limitations:
If you’re in a property with electric heating, it’s worth ensuring your meter setup correctly reflects your tariff, as this can make all the difference in how your EPC assessment treats your heating costs.
Even though a smart meter won’t change the number on your EPC certificate, it remains a powerful tool for managing real energy costs. Here’s where the practical value lies.
Real-time awareness drives behaviour change
The in-home display creates immediate feedback loops. You can see exactly what happens when you:
This visibility helps households save energy through small daily decisions that add up over a year.
Testing the impact of changes
Smart meter data lets you run your own experiments:
Access to better tariffs
Smart meters unlock tariff options that can dramatically reduce your utility bills:
Simple changes that save money:
These savings improve affordability and comfort—often more meaningfully for occupants than a marginal shift in EPC band. Your energy rating might stay the same, but your heating bills could drop significantly.
Here’s where smart meters become genuinely useful for your EPC strategy: using the energy data they provide to prioritise which physical upgrades will move your energy efficiency rating the most.
Identify your biggest energy drains
Look for patterns in your smart meter usage:
Compare fuel types
If you have both gas and electricity smart meters, track how much of your total bill goes to each:
Primary heating fuelFocus areas for improvementGas (high usage)Boiler efficiency, insulation, heating controlsElectricity (high usage)Storage heater type, tariff optimisation, insulationBoth highStart with insulation, then address systems
Cross-reference with your EPC recommendations
Every EPC includes a recommendations report listing potential energy saving improvements. Compare these suggestions against what your smart meter reveals:
Sequencing your improvements
A cost effective approach typically follows this pattern:
Throughout this process, your smart meter provides ongoing feedback on whether improvements deliver the expected metered energy savings.
These technologies are often confused, but they play very different roles in both your home’s energy efficiency and your EPC outcomes.
What each does:
FeatureSmart meterSmart heating controlsPrimary functionMeasures whole-house energy useManages when and how heating runsEPC recognitionNot included in calculationsRecognised as improvement measureDirect EPC impactNoneCan add points to ratingBill savingsIndirect (via awareness)Direct (via efficiency)
Why heating controls matter for EPCs
Smart heating controls reduce wasted energy by using:
Crucially, EPC assessments explicitly consider the presence of certain heating controls. This means they can directly improve your energy efficiency rating in ways a smart meter cannot.
Combining both technologies
If you already have a smart meter installed, consider pairing it with upgraded heating controls:
Example: A 1970s semi with a basic timeclock and no room thermostat might sit at band E. Replacing the timeclock with a programmable room thermostat and adding TRVs throughout could move the property to band D on reassessment—a genuine EPC improvement that the smart meter alone couldn’t deliver.
Some households hesitate to install a smart meter due to privacy concerns. Here’s what you need to know about how your energy data is protected.
Security built into the system
Smart meter data is encrypted using bank-level security and transmitted via a regulated national communications network. The DCC operates under strict controls governing who can access meter data and for what purposes.
You control the granularity
Customers can choose how much detail their supplier receives:
You can change these settings at any time through your supplier or the DCC.
What data is used for
Your energy supplier primarily uses smart meter data for:
Suppliers cannot use your data for marketing additional services without explicit consent.
Your rights
You can request copies of your own usage data whenever you want—useful for tracking your home’s energy efficiency over time or preparing for conversations with installers about improvements.
None of this privacy framework affects EPC scoring. But understanding how your data is protected may make you more comfortable using smart meter insights to drive efficiency improvements, knowing your information remains secure.
If your goal is achieving a higher EPC rating by 2025 or 2026—whether for selling, letting, or your own satisfaction—physical improvements to your property are essential.
Insulation upgrades (often the biggest wins):
Glazing improvements:
Heating system upgrades:
Lighting:
Renewable energy:
Working with professionals:
Combine your smart meter insights with professional advice. An energy assessor can explain which specific measures will improve your property’s EPC rating most efficiently. They can also provide the operational rating perspective—what your home actually uses—versus the asset rating that appears on the certificate.
The critical review of your energy consumption from both sources helps you build a costed, staged improvement plan that delivers real savings alongside the certificate improvements.
A smart meter, on its own, does not change an EPC rating. The assessment methodology evaluates your building’s fabric and fixed systems—the insulation in your walls, the efficiency of your boiler, the type of glazing in your windows. It doesn’t measure monitoring devices, regardless of how sophisticated they are.
But that doesn’t mean smart meters are irrelevant to your energy efficiency journey. They’re best understood as a monitoring and decision-making tool that helps you:
For homeowners and landlords serious about their property’s energy performance, here’s the practical approach:
Looking ahead, as smart tariffs and flexible energy systems expand beyond 2025, combining a smart meter with targeted upgrades will deliver the best outcome: lower energy bills, improved home’s energy efficiency, a higher EPC score, and reduced carbon emissions.
The smart meter won’t change the number on your certificate. But it might just be the tool that shows you exactly where to start.
