Leader: DCC delays risk more than programme timeline
Published 7 October 2016
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It will come as no surprise to observers of the troubled national smart meter rollout that there has been a fresh delay to the programme.
The Data and Communications Company (DCC), which is responsible for the central IT system for tracking and transmitting smart meter readings, admitted to Utility Week on Friday 30 September that its go-live date had once again been missed. It’s the fourth time the launch of the system – which is integral to extracting value from smart meters – has been pushed back.
Previous delays, which rolled from late 2015 to April 2016 to September 2016, have elicited criticism from consumer groups, which have warned that deviating from the programme’s already demanding timeline could end up adding cost for consumers. It will also clearly compress the timescale in which suppliers have to install SMETS2 meters, which require the DCC in order to realise their promise of interoperability.
But there may also be deeper negative fallout from the DCC hold up. If suppliers continue to hold back on SMETS2 installation because the DCC is not live, then the rollout of sub-optimal SMETS1 meters will continue.
The clunky SMETS1 meters do not have sophisticated functionality and, although they are meant to be transferable between suppliers, there have been many instances where customers with SMETS 1 meters have had to abandon their “smart” gadget in order to complete a supplier switch.
In short, delaying the release of SMETS2 meters – which suppliers will not start ordering before the DCC is active – is causing customer aggravation, hampering switching and ultimately stunting competition in the energy market. This is the very thing that smart meters are meant to promote.
It’s also notable that the ability of DNOs to benefit from the smart meter rollout is entirely dependent on the DCC. Without access to this central IT system, network operators will not be able to access the customer data that experts hope will lead to innovation in domestic demand-side management and improved customer service.
The DCC says it is conducting final testing for the system. Let’s hope it’s for the final time.
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