SECMP0032 'Prioritising Prepayment Customers in No WAN Situations'

The Proposer believes that a prepayment customers’ ability to effectively manage their energy bills is greatly diminished in the absence of Smart Meter Wide Area Network (SM WAN) coverage, placing them at a disadvantage relative to credit customers. When considering SMETS2+ meter functionality, Unique Transaction Reference Number (UTRN) and physical input capability, there is a very limited range of potential solutions available to Suppliers to support prepayment customers in areas of no SM WAN.

This modification seeks to introduce a requirement on the DCC to prioritise prepayment customers in no SM WAN situations and to reduce the time frame to achieve SM WAN coverage for those customers from 90 days to 30 days. This modification also seeks to introduce a mechanism for Suppliers to inform the DCC that there is a customer signed up to a prepayment contract at a given location.