The Government has taken smart metering by the horns and has brought forward plans for the national roll-out.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne announced the shift today in the first Annual Energy Statement to Parliament, alongside his Green Deal national home insulation plan and 30 other energy saving projects.
"The Government wishes to accelerate significantly the smart metering rollout compared to previously published targets," said the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). "In order to bring forward the start of roll-out and help deliver early benefits, we are proposing a staged approach to implementation under which suppliers will start to install smart meters that meet the minimum requirements defined in common technical specifications ahead of a central data and communications entity being established."
Details have been set out in Smart Metering Implementation Programme - Prospectus, prepared jointly by DECC and the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority (GEMA).
Together with associated technical documents, the prospectus sets out the Government's favoured path in detail, while allowing some room for negotiation before actual implementation.
For example, smart gas meters are included from the start:
"Within a customer's home or business the metering system will be made up of smart meters for gas and electricity, a home area network to communicate between devices in the home or business, and wide area network equipment for communicating back to the supplier or other authorised parties," said the Prospectus.
"For domestic consumers, suppliers will also be required to provide an in-home display giving near real-time information on energy consumption in an easily understandable form," said the Prospectus.
Amongst other areas of contention, flexibility is shown on the controversial subject of remote gas switch-off:
"The Government's view, subject to consultation, is that a gas valve should be included in domestic meters that will enable remote enablement and disablement of supply. We are now looking to work closely with industry parties with smart metering expertise to take the functional requirements to the next level of technical detail as quickly as possible."
Proposed minimum standards include: a home energy display indicating at least energy usage in pounds and pence; open and interoperable standards for the home area network; and wide area network access provided through a communications module that can be upgraded without exchanging the meter.
A new central entity ('DataCommsCo' or DCC) will identify and procure "the most cost-effective solutions for smart metering data management and communications" over the wide area network, said DECC.
"We will set out our final decisions in the light of responses to consultation, and the ongoing work of the programme," said DECC. "These will provide the basis for further detailed implementation work required later in the programme."
Provisional milestones
Spring 2011
Enhanced consumer protections introduced as required
Summer 2011
Functional requirements and technical specifications confirmed (subject, if required, to the outcome of any EU notification period)
Early 2012
Supply licence modifications mandating rollout implemented
Spring 2012
Regulatory framework relating to DCC implemented
Competitive application process for DCC licence
Summer 2012
Mandated supplier rollout commences
Autumn 2012
DCC licence granted
Spring 2013
DCC service providers appointed
Autumn 2013
DCC trialling and testing complete
Later
Mandated use of DCC for domestic customers
On the spring 2011 consumer protections, DECC said:
"These would help ensure that consumer protections in areas such as remote disconnection and the standards that we expect representatives of the suppliers to adhere to when installing new meters in customers' homes are in place to deal with early movers. This package could also include measures around interoperability aimed at providing suppliers with the necessary confidence to start installing smart meters and ensuring consumers can continue to switch suppliers in a straightforward manner."