It is demonstrated in this work that dielectric relaxation spectroscopy is a potent means for characterising the changes in smectic-to-smectic transitions observed in two polyether backbone side-chain liquid crystalline polymers with very short spacers. The enthalpy of the transitions are themselves suprisingly high and this has previously been assigned to conformational changes in the polyether backbone. The relaxation spectra of these materials show a low frequency d.c. conductivity tail and a relaxation due to a combination of backbone and side-chain motion. The conductivity is found to be a strong indicator of phase change and associated order, whilst the position of the relaxation peak is found to be less dependent on such a change in environment. The broadness and strength of the dipolar relaxation is also found to reflect changes in the molecular environment in the different smectic states.