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The Data Communications Company (DCC) has announced that one million second generation (SMETS2) smart meters have been successfully connected to its nationwide secure network.
The milestone was hit as SSE installed an electricity smart meter in Slough. The DCC says that “significant progress has been made on the SMETS2 roll-out, with up to 20 meters now being installed every minute of the day”.
Somewhat ironically, a lack of smart meter uptake was blamed as one of the factors responsible for SSE’s planned job cuts. This may present a more existential problem, as research commissioned by Smart Energy GB indicated that Britain was at risk of missing its climate targets without smart meters.
The smart meter roll-out suffered a notoriously rough start, with a recent survey from BEIS revealing that only 35 per cent of consumers own a smart meter, with the expected deadline for completion of the roll-out set as a fast approaching 2020. This has lead to questions of whether the roll-out deadline should be scrapped, or if it should be made opt-out.
Angus Flett, DCC’s chief executive, said:“One million meters now connected to our secure network represents a great achievement for everyone involved in the smart meter roll-out.
“Credit to the energy companies, distribution network operators, and all the organisations in the supply chain who’ve worked really hard with us to make this a reality.
“Of course, there’s still much more to do before the end of 2020. Smart meters and the DCC network are digitising Britain’s energy system and enabling the decarbonisation needed to ensure our children have clean air to breathe. That’s the prize we’re all working towards.”
David Crawford, managing director of telecoms for Arqiva, added: “The roll-out of smart gas and electricity meters is one of the most important, and complex, infrastructure programmes going on in Great Britain today.
“We are proud to be playing a part, using our expertise to build the dedicated communications infrastructure that allows meters to connect seamlessly and securely with the network in the North of England and Scotland. The one millionth SMETS2 meter to be installed in Great Britain is a fantastic milestone and we join the DCC in saluting all the organisations involved in getting to this point.”
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