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Welcome to January, the month of new beginnings and New Year’s resolutions. If last year was dominated by politics, policy and new regulatory settlements (see p12), this year can fairly be called the year of the deadline. With the smart meter rollout due to start in earnest and the shadow opening of the water market set for the end of the year, the heat is on. To get the year off to a good start, we suggest some resolutions for those in the sector, and those in government:
1. Energy retailers of all sizes, get proactive in the smart meter rollout. While some of the larger players have been leading the way, other companies are still installing legacy meters. Indeed, the number of legacy installations each month far outstrips that of smart meters, meaning a huge amount of waste when the rollout begins and they must all be replaced.
2. Just as important, the government must resolve to meet the deadlines for its part of the programme, get the Data Communications Company live by August and finally sign off the SMETS-2 specifications. This will give the retailers the certainty they need to fulfil their part of the bargain.
3. As National Grid attempts to resolve the thorny issues facing the power system, the whole universe of energy networks, transmission and distribution, plus government and other stakeholders, should give serious consideration to finding a longer-term solution for the seismic changes to power generation and consumption, whether this is a system architect or another model.
4. It’s fair to say that most water companies are already resolved to get the market open on time, with the shadow opening of the non-domestic market set for this autumn. Their best resolution would be to get their data in good shape for doing so – while the government would be well advised to make an early decision on whether to go ahead as scheduled with the full opening in April 2017.
5. The devastating floods over the festive period have shown us two things. One, that utilities workers continue to give their all, no matter what the personal cost, in times of crisis. And two, that predictable, clement weather is a thing of the past. The entire sector must resolve to work hand-in-glove with local and national government to ensure that infrastructure is designed and built to withstand extreme weather and mitigate as far as possible the kind of misery experienced this Christmas and New Year.
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