Does the use of smart meters raise privacy issues?

Smart meters allow utilities companies to collect real-time information about customer consumption. There has been concern among some consumers about what this information could potentially reveal − for example, information about the electricity consumption at a house could be used to work out what times of the day the householders are at home.

Utilities companies that collect extra information in this way need to take additional care in storing and transferring that information safely. These companies can still only use this information for the purposes for which it was collected, and they need to state these purposes in their privacy policy.

Read more about the use of smart meters by utility companies.(external link)

Updated November 2025