One public figure, split in two
Replacements, not additions
In Q2 2026, large suppliers in Great Britain reported 1.067 million domestic smart-meter installations. 564,000 replaced existing smart or advanced meters, while 503,000 were new installations.
1,067,111
exact domestic installations in the DESNZ workbook
DESNZ · published 27 August 2026 · Great Britain · large suppliers
Start by splitting the total
01 / the total
One million, two different jobs
The phrase “one million installations” does not, by itself, say how many homes received their first smart meter. In the large-supplier table, the exact total is the sum of two categories.
“Replacement” means an existing smart or advanced meter was already there. It does not automatically mean the old meter had failed.
02 / the mix changes
Replacements became most of the activity
The same DESNZ series shows why the new breakdown changes how older headlines read: the replacement share rose from 14.3% in Q1 2022 to 52.9% in Q2 2026.
Q1 2022
14.3%
149,185 replacements
Q2 2025
30.0%
305,380 replacements
Q2 2026
52.9%
564,371 replacements
This is the replacement share of installation activity, not the share of homes with replaced meters and not a failure rate.
03 / a different denominator
A flow is not coverage
Installations are a flow during one quarter. Coverage is a snapshot of meters in properties at the end of the period. DESNZ publishes them separately.
Electricity meters in properties
At the end of June 2026, around 75% of properties had a smart-mode electricity meter, while 25% had a non-smart electricity meter.
04 / the definition
What counts as a replacement?
The category is not a list of broken meters. It describes the kind of installation reported by the supplier.
DESNZ defines a replacement as installing a smart or advanced meter where an existing smart or advanced meter was already installed. The category includes end-of-life changes and communications-compatibility work.Definition in the DESNZ statistical bulletin
What we can say
564,371 Q2 installations were classified by the source as replacements of existing smart or advanced meters.
What we cannot say
The source does not show how many replaced failed meters, how many were communications upgrades, or how many homes received a first smart meter.
05 / limits
The figure is not a programme verdict
The breakdown fixes a denominator problem. It is not enough to calculate the time left in the programme or supplier performance.
Keep these limits close
- The series covers domestic properties served by large suppliers in Great Britain.
- Page copy uses the bulletin’s rounded values while the table preserves exact workbook values.
- 25% is an approximate stock measure for electricity meters, not the number of installations remaining.
- There is no failure rate, household outcome, or estimate of time to full coverage here.
The accurate reading is more modest and more useful: in Q2 2026, reported installation activity was split almost evenly, with replacements slightly ahead.
06 / method and sources
Three operations, one source
The page keeps installation flow, meter stock, and coverage scope separate. The totals below are reproduced from the official DESNZ workbook.
Domestic installations / large suppliers / Great Britain
| Period | New | Replacements | Replacement share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2022 | 897,486 | 149,185 | 14.3% |
| Q2 2025 | 711,785 | 305,380 | 30.0% |
| Q2 2026 | 502,740 | 564,371 | 52.9% |
Calculation: replacement share = replacements ÷ (new installations + replacements). For Q2 2026, 564,371 ÷ 1,067,111 = 52.8888%, shown here as 52.9%. DESNZ’s bulletin rounds the total to 1,067,000, new installations to 503,000, and replacements to 564,000.
- DESNZ statistical bulletinDefinitions, series, large-supplier scope, and coverage measure. Published 27 August 2026.
- Official DESNZ workbookExact values from Table 1 and LargeSupplier_Operating; an archived copy and hash are kept with the project materials.
- Release pageThe public release page and link to the Excel tables.
Planned update: after the DESNZ Q3 2026 release, scheduled for 26 November 2026.