DCC misses final deadline

The Data and Communications Company has overrun the official contingency period for launch, undermining smart meter rollout targets.

The Data and Communications Company (DCC) has admitted that the central IT system for the national smart meter rollout will not go live today (31 October) as promised. This is despite the company reaching the end of its contingency period for launch of its critical IT system.

A DCC spokesperson told Utility Week: “DCC is undertaking its final preparations for live services.” However the company declined to confirm a new launch date.

The DCC’s milestones for delivery and assurance of a “timely rollout” of smart meters by suppliers were approved by government. The plan includes a requirement for all domestic suppliers to be using the DCC by 1 August 2017, while large suppliers will also have to install 1,500 SMETS2 meters by 1 February 2017.

With delays to the launch of the DCC however, many suppliers are concerned about meeting these targets and the overall ambition for all homes to be offered a smart meter by 2020. Consumer groups have warned that pressure on these objectives could add to the £11 billion overall cost of the programme, which is ultimately funded by consumers.

Until the DCC’s central communications system is launched, suppliers will be forced to continue installing SMETS1 foundation meters which carry interoperability issues meaning they are difficult to transfer between suppliers if a customer decides to switch. They also carry the risk of becoming stranded assets since they are not currently compatible with the DCC’s system.  

The DCC rollout has suffered several delays since its original go-live date of December 2015. The latest came at the end of last month when the industry was poised for go-live, but a spokesperson for the DCC said that it was still “in the final stages of testing”.