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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Anna Tims

UK’s smart meter targets leaving energy users short-changed, says Martin Lewis

Martin Lewis Ed Miliband United Kingdom DESNZ MSE
Unidentified installer fitting a new gas smart meter
Martin Lewis wants suppliers to be incentivised to fix faulty meters as well as installing new ones. Photograph: Ron Bull/Alamy

Energy customers are being short-changed by “perverse” government targets to install electronic smart meters in homes across the UK, according to the consumer campaigner Martin Lewis.

Lewis, the founder and chair of MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE), has written to Ed Miliband, the secretary of state for energy security and net zero, warning that installations are being prioritised over repairs, leaving thousands of households facing shock bills because their meters have malfunctioned.

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