Is a caller offering a smart meter installation from my energy company real?
Genuine smart meter schemes exist in many countries, but cold callers asking for access to your home or upfront payment are often scammers impersonating energy companies.
Last reviewed: 1 August 2026
Explanation
Energy company impersonation scams involve cold callers — by phone or doorstep — claiming to be from your supplier and offering free smart meter installation or an energy efficiency survey. They may ask to enter your home, take meter readings, and then claim a problem requires payment for a 'repair'. Some steal meter readings to clone energy accounts; others steal household items during the visit. In a phone variant, they ask for your account number and payment details to 'register' the new meter.
The smart meter framing is effective because genuine rollout programmes exist in many countries and have been widely publicised, so the offer sounds plausible rather than out of the blue. Doorstep versions add pressure by suggesting the installer is 'in the area today only', that your old meter is unsafe, or that your bills will rise if you refuse. All of these are levers to get inside your home or extract account details on the spot — decisions a genuine supplier never requires you to make at the door.
Genuine smart meter rollouts are managed through official supplier programmes: your actual supplier will contact you by letter, email, or through your online account, appointments are booked in advance at your convenience, installation is free, and engineers carry ID you are expected to check. If anyone arrives or calls unannounced, decline, close the door, and call your supplier on the number printed on your bill to confirm whether any visit was scheduled.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited doorstep visit offering immediate free meter installation
- Caller asks for your bank details to process the installation
- Offers to reduce your bill immediately in exchange for access to your home
- Caller becomes pushy when you ask to call your supplier to verify
What to do now
- Do not let anyone into your home without verifying their identity first
- Call your energy supplier using the number on your bill to check for any real scheme
- If you gave personal or payment details, contact your bank immediately
- Report doorstep fraud to your national consumer protection authority
Frequently asked questions
How can I verify a doorstep energy worker is genuine?
Ask for their employee ID, then close the door and call your supplier's official number to confirm they sent someone. Genuine engineers will wait or reschedule.
Do genuine smart meter installations ever cost money?
In countries running official rollouts, installation is provided by your supplier at no upfront charge. Any doorstep or phone request for payment, bank details, or a deposit to install a meter is a scam signal.
What details can a scammer do with just a meter reading or account number?
Account numbers and readings help fraudsters impersonate you to your supplier, switch or clone your account, or make follow-up calls sound authentic. Treat energy account details with the same care as bank details.