News that delivery of the central hub for the smart meter rollout has been delayed again (it was originally planned in 2015) was met with anger in the energy industry.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “This is now the third time in 18 months that this IT project has been pushed back and we are concerned that the delay to this important communications system will make it harder to meet the 2020 deadline for the rollout of smart meters. This could make the overall project more expensive and hit consumers with higher bills down the line.”