BEIS SMIP: Consultation on directing the DCC to plan for the design, development and implementation of smart meter ECoS arrangements

30 May 2019

A Government consultation on a proposal to direct the Data and Communications Company (DCC) to provide Enduring Change of Supplier (ECoS) arrangements for smart meters (SMETS2 and enrolled SMETS1 smart meters).  The consultation document is included at Annex A of the covering letter.

The existing, Transitional Change of Supplier (TCoS) arrangements for changing energy suppliers’ security credentials were put in place on a temporary basis.  Our proposed enduring approach in this consultation (ECoS Option 2) builds on TCoS by avoiding reliance on the energy supplier who is losing the customer to process the change of security credentials, while also putting in place greater separation from the Data Services Provider (DSP) and providing independent access to registration.

This preferred option has been arrived and based upon the analysis in the DCC report included at Annex B of the covering letter.  The report finds that ECoS2 is the superior option for putting in place a sufficiently robust enduring solution when assessed against cost, complexity and delivery risk.  In addition, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) were also consulted on the security aspects of both options and have confirmed that ECoS2 represents an appropriate enduring solution from a security perspective.

Full details can be found here.

How can I respond to this consultation?
Please send your responses or any comments to smartmetering@beis.gov.uk

or

Smart Metering Implementation Programme – Delivery
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy,
2nd floor,
1 Victoria Street,
London,
SW1H 0ET

The deadline for responses to this consultation is 5pm Thursday 27 June 2019.