Households with solar panels risk being overcharged on their energy bills if they have a smart meter fitted, it can be revealed.

Some have seen their energy bills more than treble after smart meters have been installed. This is because, while the two devices are capable of working together, energy firms say they are unable to access correct information about excess energy being generated by people's solar panels.

It means nearly a million households in Britain with solar panels on their homes could face billing chaos or being excluded from the Government's roll out of smart meters.

Two of Britain's biggest energy companies, EON and NPower, are refusing to install smart meters in people's homes if they have solar panels.

Meanwhile other firms, including British Gas, are fitting smart meters into homes with solar panels, But this has resulted in billing issues for some customers, who have ended up having their smart meters removed.