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L2Apprenticeship261 approved provider
The Level 2 Dual Fuel Smart Meter Installer, and the 1 provider delivering it.
Safely installing, exchanging and maintaining smart meters, explaining to customers how they work and how to use energy more efficiently.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices learn to safely install, exchange, commission, and decommission smart metering systems in domestic and commercial properties. Training covers both gas and electricity meters, associated communication hardware, and the systems that transmit consumption data. Alongside the technical work, apprentices develop skills in energy efficiency advice, customer communication, and safety-critical working practices, including working at height and in confined spaces. A DBS check is required, and the role demands a disciplined, professional approach throughout.
Day-to-day responsibilities
Most working days are spent visiting customer properties to fit or replace gas and electricity smart meters, test that systems are communicating correctly, and decommission legacy equipment. Apprentices handle tools and metering hardware, follow strict safety protocols for each job, and explain to customers how their new meter works and how to read their energy usage. Work is largely field-based and lone-working, so time management and personal accountability matter as much as technical ability.
Career outlook
Completing this apprenticeship leads to roles such as Smart Meter Installer, Field Engineer, or Metering Technician. With experience, progression into senior installer, team leader, or technical supervisor positions is common. Energy suppliers, metering service companies, and utilities contractors are the main employers, and demand remains steady given the ongoing national smart meter rollout programme. Some completers move into broader gas or electrical engineering roles, using this as a foundation for further qualifications such as ACS gas competency or electrical installation apprenticeships at higher levels.
1 approved provider
Sorted by achievement rate.
Cheshire College – South & West
Employer: 2.0
Cheshire College – South & West offers apprenticeship and further education opportunities across its...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completers typically move into a Dual Fuel Smart Meter Installer role on a permanent basis, carrying out installation, exchange, commissioning and decommissioning of smart metering systems in domestic and small business properties. Some move directly into a Multi-Skilled Meter Technician position where the scope of work covers a broader range of metering equipment. Both roles involve lone working, direct customer contact and a high degree of personal accountability for safety-critical tasks.
Progression paths
With a few years of field experience, installers often progress to Senior Meter Technician or Field Team Leader, taking on responsibility for quality checks and supporting newer colleagues. A specialist track leads toward Meter Asset Manager or Technical Compliance Officer roles, focusing on asset integrity and regulatory standards. Those with an appetite for management can move into Field Operations Supervisor or Area Manager positions, overseeing scheduling, performance and safety across a team of installers.
Where these roles sit
The majority of hiring comes from the UK's licensed energy suppliers and the meter asset provider companies contracted to run national smart meter rollout programmes. Specialist field service contractors, utilities infrastructure businesses and metering network operators are also significant employers. Work is predominantly in the private sector, though some roles sit within publicly owned energy or housing organisations. Employers range from large national contractors with hundreds of field staff to smaller regional service providers.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Throughout the apprenticeship, learners develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to install, commission, decommission and maintain dual fuel smart metering systems safely and to a high standard while working in customer properties. Assessment is built around real work carried out on the job. Before final assessment, a gateway review confirms the apprentice is ready, checking that they have met the requirements set by their employer and training provider. Final assessment confirms the apprentice can perform the role competently. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
Because much of the evidence for assessment comes from actual work, learners should start building a record of their workplace activities from early in the programme. This means keeping logs of installations, safety checks and customer interactions as they happen, rather than trying to reconstruct them later. Regular reviews with the employer and training provider help track progress against the required knowledge, skills and behaviours and give a clear picture of when readiness for the gateway can be demonstrated. Leaving evidence gathering until late in the programme creates unnecessary pressure.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Providers worth considering will have an achievement rate above 65%, ideally above 75%, given the relatively short 14-month programme where completion rates can drop sharply if pastoral support is weak. Look for evidence of real meter installation facilities or access to live utility environments, not just classroom theory. Providers should be able to demonstrate that tutors and assessors hold current gas and electricity competencies, including Gas Safe registration where applicable. Employer satisfaction scores on the FATP profile are particularly telling here, since most apprentices are employer-sponsored and working in customer properties from early on.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers with high learner volumes but falling achievement rates, which can indicate stretched delivery teams and insufficient on-site support. If a provider cannot explain how they simulate or access real metering scenarios, including confined space and working-at-heights environments, the practical training is likely inadequate for a safety-critical role. Vague answers about how DBS checks and safety compliance are managed during the programme are a serious concern. Outdated training materials that do not reflect current SMETS2 standards or the Data Communications Company (DCC) network requirements should also prompt questions.
Questions to ask before you commit
- What practical facilities do you use for meter installation training, and can we visit them?
- Are your assessors and tutors currently Gas Safe registered and up to date with SMETS2 requirements?
- How do you support apprentices through the safety-critical elements, particularly confined space and working-at-heights assessments?
- What is your achievement rate for this standard over the last two years, and what accounts for any non-completions?
- How do you coordinate off-the-job training around an apprentice's live installation schedule with an employer?
- What support is in place if an apprentice struggles with the customer service or energy advice components of the role?
- Can you put us in touch with employers whose apprentices have completed this programme recently?
Common questions
What qualifications do I need to start a Dual Fuel Smart Meter Installer apprenticeship?
Employers typically look for at least 2 to 4 GCSEs at grade C or above, including maths and English, though equivalent qualifications or relevant experience may also be considered. Every employer sets their own entry criteria, so requirements can vary. All applicants will need to pass a background check equivalent to a DBS check, given the nature of working in customer properties and carrying out safety-critical tasks.
How does the time commitment work, and will I be employed throughout?
Yes, you are employed for the full duration of the apprenticeship and earn a wage while you train. You work and learn at the same time, combining on-the-job experience with off-the-job training. The typical duration for this standard is 14 months, though individual circumstances can affect this. Specific minimum duration rules and off-the-job training requirements are subject to ongoing government reform, so check the current specification on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education page on gov.uk.
How is the apprenticeship assessed, and what is the gateway?
Before the final assessment, the apprentice must reach the gateway, the point at which both the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has developed the knowledge, skills and behaviours required. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated under Skills England reforms, so the exact end-point assessment method may change. Check the current assessment plan on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education page on gov.uk for the latest details.
How does an employer pay for this apprenticeship?
The funding band for this standard is £12,000, which is the maximum that can be drawn from the apprenticeship levy or government co-investment to cover training and assessment costs. Large employers with a levy account use those funds directly. Smaller employers without a levy account typically contribute 5 per cent of the training cost, with the government covering the rest. Employers with fewer than 50 staff who take on an apprentice aged 16 to 18 pay nothing for the training.
What does a Dual Fuel Smart Meter Installer actually do day to day?
The role centres on visiting customer properties to install, exchange, commission and decommission smart metering systems for both gas and electricity. Each visit involves safety checks, handling equipment, explaining how the new meter works and giving energy efficiency advice to the customer. The work is physical and can include lifting equipment, working at height and operating in confined spaces. Maintaining a professional, safety-first approach in customers' homes is a constant requirement throughout the working day.
What can a Dual Fuel Smart Meter Installer progress to after completing the apprenticeship?
Completing this apprenticeship opens routes into senior installation roles, team leading or field management within energy companies or metering contractors. Some progress into related trades or technical roles within utilities and energy infrastructure. Others move into roles focused on customer operations, technical support or energy efficiency advisory work. Employers in this sector often value experienced installers for supervisory positions, and further qualifications in gas, electrical or energy management disciplines can support longer-term career development.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 26.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.