SMS responds to Ofgem’s open letter on energy supplier smart meter obligations

On 29th March 2022, Ofgem published an open letter which outlined the regulator’s observations and expectations regarding energy suppliers’ smart meter rollout obligations.

This letter reinforced the “immediate benefits to consumers” from smart meters, which “help them to take control of their energy usage” and serve as a “a key enabler for the transition to a more flexible energy market and the delivery of net zero emissions”.

Ofgem also emphasised the proposed enforcement of annual binding installation targets from the start of 2022, and has openly published all suppliers current targets.

As the UK’s leading provider of smart energy infrastructure – including our key role in partnership with energy suppliers to deliver the smart meter rollout to customers across Britain – the open letter has been keenly received and we are pleased to see the regulator recognise and reinforce the importance of the smart meter (SMETS2) roll out.

In addition, the letter restates the obligation on suppliers to enrol and adopt SMETS1 meters into the DCC by the end of 2022, and to take all reasonable steps to ensure all new or replacement meters are smart.

Importantly, the open letter also states: “Where a supplier has not commissioned the meter immediately upon installation, suppliers should have processes in place to ensure that the meter is subsequently connected to the DCC and operated within a timely manner”.

Indeed, the importance of ensuring smart meters are fully commissioned at or following installation, the management of SMETS2 firmware, and the ongoing collection of data is considered essential to the delivery and performance of the smart agenda.

This pertains not just to energy suppliers, but for their customers and the wider industries that rely on the smart metering ecosystem.

Smart Portfolio Optimisation

Precisely for this reason, SMS’s Smart Meter Health service was recently created to assist energy suppliers with this challenge of maintaining and optimising connectivity to and data collection from their smart meter portfolios.

Taking on the challenges of firmware assurance, delivery and maintenance, as well as ensuring meters are fully commissioned, Smart Meter Health aims to support energy suppliers with their smart obligations, enhance the customer experience, and help generate greater value in a challenging current marketplace.

Smart Meter Health has already proven its worth recently. With one UK energy supplier’s COO stating:

“The Smart Meter Health service offering from SMS allowed us to focus on our customers and utilise SMS’s experience and expertise to focus on the technical recovery. A collaborative approach with SMS improved our digital, smart daily read success by 25% along with first time commissioning rates going up and holding at above 96%.”

Read more on the Smart Meter Health Service at our recent case study here.