Hello,
We hope you are enjoying the summer. Following the annual SEC Engagement Day we are working hard to address your questions and feedback, and look forward to answering many of your questions in future newsletters. If you haven’t yet had your say, please complete our feedback survey here by Monday 12 August 2019. Your input is much appreciated as it helps us improve our guidance and identify topics of interest for SEC Parties for our future events. Our next event will be the Spotlight on the SEC on Thursday 12 September 2019. Read on to find out more.
Also included in this edition: Election for Other User seat on the Security Sub-Committee (SSC), an opportunity to join the SEC Panel, Modifications news and a major joint consultation from BEIS and Ofgem on reforming industry codes.
SEC Panel Member Elections
The following Panel Member seats are up for election:
- 1 Large Supplier representative
- 1 Small Supplier representative
- 1 Gas Network representative
- 1 Other SEC Party representative
If you would like to nominate an individual (or yourself), please download the Invitation for Panel Members Nomination Form, complete Annex A – Panel Member Nomination Form and email it to SECAS@gemserv.com before Friday 9 August 2019. The Invitation for Panel Members Nomination Form and further information can be found here.
Security Sub-Committee (SSC) Member Elections
As part of the annual SSC membership election, the deadline for nominations closed on Monday 22 July 2019. SSC Members were requested to nominate individuals based on the below vacant seats, which are due to expire in September 2019:
- One Small Supplier
- Four Large Suppliers
- One Electricity Network
- One Other User
We received a single nomination to fill each of the vacant seats in the Small Supplier, Large Supplier and Electricity Network Party categories, therefore those individuals have been elected as SSC Members to commence their term in office in September 2019.
Two nominations were received for the vacant Other User seat which will therefore go to a vote. As per SEC Section G7.11, Other Users who have completed the User Entry Process (UEP) will be eligible to vote for the nominated candidates.
Candidate statements and voting forms were issued to Other SEC Parties who have completed the UEP on Tuesday 30 July 2019, with votes to be submitted to SECAS@gemserv.com by Tuesday 13 August 2019. Following the meeting on Wednesday 14 August 2019, the outcome of the election, including details of successful candidates, will be published on the SEC website.
Panel notification to BEIS regarding initial entry onto the EPCL for SMETS1
On Friday 19 July 2019, the Panel recommended to BEIS that the initial entry onto the Eligible Product Combination List (EPCL) for SMETS1 should be deployed for live operations. You can find out more here.
Spotlight on the SEC 12 September 2019
We will be holding the next Spotlight on the SEC on Thursday 12 September 2019 at Gemserv’s office in London. This is an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the SEC and we value SEC Parties’ ideas for content. We will identify topics Parties suggest in the feedback from the SEC Engagement Day and will send out the draft agenda next week.
In the meantime, if there is a specific topic you would like covered, or you would like to reserve a place, please email SECAS@gemserv.com. Please note places are limited to two per SEC Party. We hope you can make it on 12 September!
SEC Version 6.17 Designated
On Friday 26 July 2019, BEIS approved the first Device Model Combination (DMC) onto the Eligible Product Combination List (EPCL). As a result, SEC Version 6.17 was designated on Monday 28 July 2019, with amendments made to several SEC Subsidiary Documents, as well as designating new SEC Appendix AM ‘SMETS1 Supporting Requirements’. Amendments were also made to SEC Section A ‘Definitions and Interpretation’ in order to implement changes that had been erroneously omitted from a previous BEIS direction.
Industry Comments on DP079 – Withdrawing Modifications
DP079 ‘Provisions for withdrawing modifications’ has been raised to explore the provisions around who has the power to withdraw modifications and is currently undergoing the Development Stage. We are keen to get your comments on this proposal to understand the support for developing a solution to this issue.
We welcome your comments on any open Draft Proposals as it gives us vital feedback to help determine the scale and impacts of the issues identified and the business case for developing a solution. Please email your comments to SEC.Change@gemserv.com
SEC Release Management Policy Consultation
We recently issued a consultation on updates to the SEC Release Management Policy, which will remain open until Friday 16 August 2019. More information on this consultation and how you can respond can be found here. Please email SEC.Change@gemserv.com with any questions.
SEC Modcasts
Our most recent Modcast updates you on the Change Board votes from the meeting which took place on Wednesday 24 July, the August Working Group meeting agenda, and our open consultations.
We will be issuing our next Modcast tomorrow (Friday 2 August 2019), which will feature information on the SEC Version 6.17 designation and a preview of next week’s Working Group meeting, plus all that’s new in the world of SEC Modifications.
BEIS / Ofgem Joint Consultations
BEIS has issued two joint consultations with Ofgem:
- A specific code focused consultation on Reforming the Energy Industry Codes, the aim of which is to ensure codes have clear obligations for participants and respond to changing situations – including the large number of participants. Respond to industrycodes@ofgem.gov.uk and codereform@beis.gov.uk; and
- A more general consultation on Flexible and Responsive Energy Retail Markets, respond to energyretailmarketsreview@beis.gov.uk and futuresupply@ofgem.gov.uk.
They have requested that respondents copy both BEIS and Ofgem into their response. Both consultations close on Monday 16 September 2019.
Other Ofgem Publications
Ofgem has also published the following:
- Ofgem Strategic Narrative 2019-23 setting out strategic medium-term objectives and priorities to help carry out Ofgem’s principal duty to ‘protect the interests of existing and future consumers’;
- An open letter on Delivering Energy Data Taskforce recommendations; and
- Two Requests for Information to Suppliers regarding the Switching Compensation Guaranteed Standards – one mandatory and one voluntary: