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More than 20 million smart meters have been connected to Britain’s national network, the Data Communications Company (DCC) has revealed.
According to the latest government figures there were a total of 27.8 million smart and advanced meters in homes and small businesses in Great Britain at the end of 2021, making up 50% of all operational energy meters.
The DCC is currently in the process of migrating first-generation (SMETS1) devices onto its secure network so they are able to retain the same functionality as their SMETS2 counterparts.
Utilita Energy installed the 20 millionth device to be added to the system yesterday morning (4 May) at a location in Brighton, East Sussex.
The latest figures mean DCC’s national network has doubled in size over the last 14 months.
DCC said the Midlands has been the fastest region to take up the technology with North Kesteven in Lincolnshire becoming the first area to reach a more than 60% take-up of smart meters.
The full regional breakdown is:
- North Kesteven, Lincolnshire (61%)
- North West Leicestershire (59%)
- Harborough, Leicestershire (59%)
- South Derbyshire (58%)
- Rugby, Warwickshire (57%)
DCC chief executive Angus Flett said: “These 20 million meters have been added in less than four years. Credit for that goes to everyone involved in the smart metering rollout, particularly our customers, the energy companies and network operators, who’ve worked really hard with us.
“The DCC platform is a powerful tool for decarbonisation, and the carbon saved shows the power of collective action on climate change.
“This network is the backbone of a new digital energy infrastructure in Britain, as we transform our energy system. Crucially, the data we carry from these 20 million meters enables the best possible use of renewable energy sources, which everyone wants.”
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