Your smart meter after a power cut

Why is my smart meter blank?

If the power is off, an electricity meter's screen usually is too. Smart Energy GB lists "Your smart meter, Wi-Fi or some appliances that rely on electricity have stopped working" among the signs of a power cut.

If the power is on but the screen is dark, Octopus Energy's help page starts with "Press one of the buttons on the meter to see if it wakes up", and then: "Check if anything else has lost power. If there's been a power cut – wait for your smart meter to reboot."

How to reset a smart meter after a power cut

We found no supplier or official source that describes resetting the meter itself after a cut on the network. A credit meter reboots by itself. When guides talk about resetting, they mean the switches in your fuse box (consumer unit), for a cut that seems to affect only your home.

Smart Energy GB says: "If the power cut seems to be affecting only your home, check your fuse box. Look to see whether a trip switch has moved to the 'off' position." And: "If a switch has tripped and you're wondering how to reset an electric meter after a power cut, unplug your appliances and reset the switch to 'on', if it is safe to do so." It adds: "If the switch trips again, do not keep resetting it. Leave the affected appliances unplugged and seek help from a qualified electrician."

British Gas says much the same, and adds a check for prepayment customers: "If you're on a Pay As You Go meter, make sure you have enough credit."

Prepayment meter showing OFF

Octopus says: "If the screen says 'OFF', you'll need to reconnect the meter before you can use electricity or gas." Its reconnection guide explains that "You can reconnect your supply via your In-Home Display (IHD, the small screen included with a smart meter install), and also on the meter itself", and that for gas, "you will still need to physically press buttons on the gas meter for your supply to reactivate."

The buttons to press depend on who made your meter, so use your own supplier's guide for your model. Octopus also says: "Make sure any sensitive or important electrical devices are turned off and / or unplugged before reconnecting your meter."

The in-home display is blank or out of date

The display is a separate gadget that talks to the meter. EDF says "Many issues can be fixed by resetting your in-home display": hold the power button on the back until it switches off, wait a minute, then turn it back on, and "it will try to reconnect to your smart meter(s)". EDF adds: "You won't lose any data by doing the reset, but it can take up to 24 hours for the information about your past energy use to come back."

Does a smart meter report the power cut?

Sometimes. Smart Energy GB says "Some smart meters are able to send outage information automatically, which can help energy suppliers and, in some cases, local Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), understand when and where electricity supply has been disrupted." Don't count on it: report the cut yourself.

Who to call

For a power cut on the network, not your energy supplier. As British Gas puts it, "you don't contact your energy supplier during a power cut. That's because they're responsible for selling the electricity but not maintaining the power lines." Call 105, which Smart Energy GB says "connects you to your local electricity network operator in England, Scotland and Wales, and it is available 24 hours a day." In Northern Ireland, call NIE Networks on 03457 643643.

The meter itself is your supplier's. If the power is back but a prepayment meter still won't reconnect, Octopus says: "If you've tried the above and it still hasn't turned your power back on, or you're having trouble following the reconnection instructions, get in touch and one of our team can help."

If the cut lasts a long time, your network operator may owe you money: power cut compensation.