Energy Systems Catapult and the Data Communications Company (DCC) published a report on 3 October 2023 calling for greater transparency of, and accelerated access to, smart meter data1. The report, Data for Good, Smart Meter Data Access, follows the Catapult's Energy Digitalisation Taskforce report of January 2022, which recommended using smart meter data for public good1.
The report states that more than 28 million smart meters are installed in Great Britain, and that the system operated by the Data Communications Company generates over 1.5 billion data transactions every month, covering more than 16 million connected homes, or more than half of all households in Great Britain2. It puts carbon savings from existing smart meter data flows at over 1,000,000 tonnes per year1. It also cites an estimated 6.7 million homes defined as fuel poor1.
The Catapult sets out four recommendations, each with a stated timescale2:
| Recommendation | Stated timescale |
|---|---|
| Unlock smart meter system data to support fuel poor households | By winter 2023/24 |
| Maximise access to smart meter data through existing mechanisms | 12 to 18 months, through Smart Energy Code Modifications |
| Establish a data institution for smart meter data | Two to three years, parallel to the Department's Smart Energy Data Repository programme |
| Maximise data access while minimising risk | In alignment with development of a data institution |
The report says the first recommendation follows a successful trial of the uZero project, and that support is required from Ofgem, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and industry2. On current arrangements, it states that the DCC requires approval from Ofgem to make data available, and that this process can be expedited through 'permitted purpose' consent, which Ofgem is currently reviewing, while longer-term regulatory solutions such as Smart Energy Code Modifications or licence change are explored1.
"If we want to unleash the innovation we need from the digitalisation of energy, we need to make it easier to access smart meter data in a safe and responsible way."
Angus Flett, Chief Executive Officer at the DCC, said smart meter data is already delivering benefits for over half of the households in Britain, and that secure access to it, with consumer trust at the forefront, can enable new services and help tackle some of society's greatest challenges1.
Why it matters for households
Smart meter data is the record of when and how much gas and electricity a home uses. The report's argument is that wider access to that record, under a changed governance framework, would let organisations identify households in difficulty and target support, and would let new products and services be built on it1. For a household, the practical question is who can see consumption data and for what purpose, and whether the same data can be used by the household itself to understand its own use. The report states that changes to the regulatory framework must retain and enhance end-consumer trust in how data is accessed and used1. It also states that new privacy-enhancing technologies should be deployed to allow the broadest public interest uses at the lowest possible risk2. The report does not set out what any of this would mean for an individual household's bills, and no figure for household-level savings is given in the published material.
What happens next
The report asks Ofgem, industry and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to support its recommendations1. It states that unlocking system data for fuel poor households should be achieved by winter 2023/24, that changes to access through existing mechanisms should be developed through Smart Energy Code Modifications over the next 12 to 18 months, and that a data institution should be established in two to three years, in parallel with the Department's Smart Energy Data Repository programme2. It adds that changes to data governance and data legislation responsibilities would require pan-industry agreement1. No decision by Ofgem or the Department on the recommendations has been reported.