Smart meters and solar panels are incompatible and can even cause householders to pay for electricity generated by solar panels rather than receiving money for it, customers and researchers have said.

The latest generation of utility meters, which come with an in-home display that shows your energy use in real time, are being heavily pushed by the Government, with eye-catching adverts on TV, cinema screens and public transport.

But Robert Brown, 71, from Hastings, is convinced that his smart meter is charging him for energy generated by his solar panels. His provider, Scottish Power, installed the meter in June and since then, he said, his recorded usage and bills have increased.

He said he had been on holiday for much of August and therefore expected his usage to have fallen compared with similar periods last year. However, the opposite had been the case.

Scottish Power denied that there was a compatibility issue but offered to send an engineer to assess the meter, free of charge. An ombudsman also ruled against him, suggesting his old meter may have been faulty and under-recording his usage.

But research by consumer group Which? has found that more than half of homeowners with solar panels have run into problems after the installation of smart meters.