Smart meter stories from the budget front line

Paula Brown's smart meter, which shows that the household had used £8.16 of energy so far that day

Once rare, smart meters are now in millions of British homes recording the amount of fuel used. But, as the price of energy rises, the devices have, for some, turned from a source of information to a cause for concern. BBC News spoke to people about their relationship with the meters.

For many energy customers the traditional chore of submitting meter readings is a thing of the past.

The advent of smart meters, which measure a household's energy use and enable people to track the cost, means it is all automatic.

Smart meters are promoted as technology to make householders' lives easier and cheaper.

But as energy costs soar due the conflict in Ukraine and demand increases during the winter, some say the constant visual reminder can cause anxiety and lead to making different heating decisions.

'It makes me more Yorkshire'

Paula Brown keeps her smart meter out of sight

Paula Brown from Adel, Leeds, said seeing how much her energy will cost each day on her smart meter makes her feel "more Yorkshire" about money.

She has had a smart meter for about three years and keeps it out of public view in the room where her boiler is installed.

"It had gone up to £15 in one day and when I saw the reading I said 'how much?'

"I was brought up to be very careful with electricity use so I've always been very energy conscious. But it's very difficult with gas."

Paula, who posted her smart meter picture in the LeedsPlace Facebook group, has a condition called Raynaud Syndrome that is made worse by the cold and she has suffered from hypothermia before.

"I get cold quicker than normal without realising it, so I have to be very careful," she said.

"In one sense the smart meter makes it even worse, at least ours isn't in public sight but I do keep on seeing it."

'The first thing I look at'

Lianna's smart meter, which shows the household has used £98.49 of gas in the first nine days of December

Lianna from Leeds said her smart meter "bothers" her so much that it is the first thing she looks at when she comes down stairs in the morning.

The most it has registered in a day is £28 and has made such an impact that the family are saving to install a more efficient boiler.

Lianna, who has two young children, said the meter was first installed in April.

"It was interesting to see the energy use at first but as soon as the price rises came in - it's just insane. We don't have a choice, we need the heating on. It's too cold.

"It is daunting that the essentials are now taking up so much of our wages.

"I would definitely like to cut down on our energy use, not just for costs but also for the environment."

• Energy bills: What do I do if I can't afford to pay?

• How to cut your energy bills

• Smart meters: What is going on?

'Costing more than the mortgage'

Martin Davies says his energy bills could end up costing more than his mortgage

Martin Davies lives in Keighley with wife, Angela, her mother Georgie, and son, Sam.

He says they have no option but to try and keep their three-bedroomed house warm, despite the soaring cost of energy.

On Friday evening, Mr Davies' smart meter was registering a charge of almost £23.50, and that was with a four-hour power cut in the early hours, he said.

The day before, Mr Davies took to social media to share an image of an even higher reading.

"On days like this last year we were fretting if it went over fifteen quid and it's not even 9pm," he wrote.

However, he said having a smart meter at least meant they could keep tabs on their spending.

He said his current bill was around £390 a month, but if the cold weather continued it would likely almost double and end up costing more than his monthly mortgage payments.

Despite this, Mr Davies said he and his family were "relatively fortunate" having managed to at least build up some credit to help cover bills over the winter.