SEC Newsletter 17 June 2021

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the SEC newsletter.

Read this edition to find out how SEC Parties can build their knowledge by joining our upcoming webinars, learn about five new SEC Draft Proposals, and how you can take part in the Operational Performance Regime Consultation.

 

Upcoming SECAS Webinars: Enrolment & Adoption: What you need to know and the Annual SEC Panel Q&A

SEC Parties are invited to join the following upcoming webinars:

  • Enrolment & Adoption: What you need to know, 24 June 11.00 – 12.00. Are you using the DCC’s Early Life Support to help you migrate your Dormant Meters? Would you like to learn more about the dormant migration process? Join this webinar to hear from the DCC and learn about the Dormant SMETS1 Meter migration process. BEIS will also join to take your questions. To register, click here.

 

  • Annual SEC Panel Q&A, 16 July 2021 9.30 – 10.20. This is your opportunity to put your questions to the SEC Panel and Sub-Committee Independent Chairs. You will also hear from the SEC Panel Chair regarding key activities over the past year and plans for the year ahead. Please email your questions for the SEC Panel to the SECAS Helpdesk by 5pm on 30 June 2021. To register, click here.

 

If you have any ideas of topics you’d like to hear at future webinars, please contact the SECAS Helpdesk.

 

Calling all Small Suppliers and Other SEC Parties!

Small Suppliers and Other SEC Parties are invited to join a monthly engagement call with your respective SEC Panel representatives. The calls are kept under an hour and provide a helpful update on key items that impact your SEC Party group.

  • Small Supplier call, 23 June 2021 15:00 – 15:45 – This is your opportunity to hear from your Small Supplier SEC Panel representatives about key outcomes from the SEC Panel meeting, your Change Board representative, the DCC, Alt HAN Co, BEIS and SECAS who will provide key updates impacting Small Suppliers. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions.

 

  • Other SEC Party call, 14 July 15:00 – 16:00 – This is your opportunity to share your views and feedback with your SEC Panel representatives; Ash Pocock and Terry Jefferson. You will hear key updates on agenda items that impact your Party category for discussion at the upcoming SEC Panel meeting.

 

We look forward to you joining us. If you would like to attend, but haven’t received an invitation, please contact the SECAS Helpdesk to be added to the distribution list.

 

Keep your SEC Party Details up to date

Thank you to all those who have updated your SEC Party details. SEC Parties are reminded to ensure your contact details are kept up to date with SECAS (in accordance with SEC Section M6.2) and the DCC. This is vital to ensure that your Party receives important updates, information, and invitations to industry meetings and events.

 

If you have not yet updated your Party details, please do so by using our online form. This form will also allow you to state if you provide your consent for us to inform the DCC and Alt HAN, if applicable, of any changes to your Party.

If you have any questions, please contact the SECAS Helpdesk.

 

New Draft Proposals

There have been five new Draft Proposals raised since the last Newsletter. You are invited to provide feedback to help us understand whether the issue affects your Party. Please contact the Change Team to share your views.

 

 

DP165 ‘ESME Voltage Accuracy’

 

 

Electricity Network Parties are obligated to ensure that the voltage supplied to consumer premises from low voltage electricity networks is between defined limits.

Electricity Network Parties have requested that average Root Mean Square (RMS) voltage readings from Electricity Smart Metering Equipment (ESME) be recorded with a mandated level of accuracy. This is not currently codified in the Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS) or the Great Britain Companion Specification (GBCS).

 

 

 

DP166 ‘Adverse Weather Planned Maintenance Process’

 

 

High Impact Planned Maintenance includes activities that directly affect any DCC Services involving end-to-end communications. This disruption will impact consumers as well as SEC Parties. Currently there is no defined process that allows the DCC to postpone High Impact Planned Maintenance activities due to adverse weather conditions.

 

 

 

DP167 ‘Review of SEC documents’

 

The Proposer has identified areas that appear to be no longer applicable to the SEC. Ofgem has also raised an action for SECAS to review the SEC and rationalise where possible. This Draft Proposal will review the SEC and identify areas that could potentially be removed from the Code.

 

 

 

DP168 ‘CPL Security Improvements’

 

SEC Appendix Z ‘CPL Requirements Document’ requires the Panel to check that a communication requesting a firmware Image to be associated with a Device Model on the Central Products List (CPL), originates from the person who created the Image and is endorsed by a Supplier.

At present, the signatures used by manufacturers do not enable cryptographic authentication that the communication originates from a specific manufacturer. Neither a Supplier nor the Panel can thereby authenticate the communication and therefore fully meet the SEC obligation.

 

 

 

DP169 ‘Managing SEC Obligations and the Consumer’s Right to refuse a Smart Meter’

 

Consumers have a right to refuse a Smart Meter. Suppliers are unable to comply with consumer requests to install a Smart Meter in ‘dumb’ mode.

The SEC does not currently allow for the Devices on the Smart Metering Inventory (SMI) to be either installed and not commissioned, nor to fit the meters without also fitting the DCC provided Communications Hub. There is no concept, by design, of fitting a Smart Meter in ‘dumb’ mode.

 

 

Open Industry Consultations Webpage

Please visit our Open Industry Consultations webpage for details of consultations that may be of interest to SEC Parties. If you are aware of a consultation that should be added, please contact the SECAS Helpdesk.

 

For other publications that may be of interest to you, please view the Operations Report in the June 2021 WHITE SEC Panel Meeting 93 Documentation. SEC Parties can also view the Transitional Governance Update (TGU) Paper in the June 2021 GREEN SEC Panel Meeting 93 Documentation.

 

Opportunity to share your feedback on DCC Customer Engagement

How has the DCC engaged with SEC Parties over the past regulatory year? SEC Parties are invited to share your views on this with Ofgem and SECAS. As part of the changes to the DCC Operational Performance Regime (OPR), Ofgem has asked the SEC Panel to provide an assessment on how well the DCC engaged during the 2020/21 Regulatory Year. You can find more information about the consultation here.

 

Please email your completed response form to SECAS@gemserv.com with the subject line ‘OPR – DCC Engagement Consultation’ by 5pm on 14 July 2021. If you have any questions, please contact the SECAS Helpdesk.

 

SECAS Helpdesk

Please contact the SECAS Helpdesk with any questions and a member of the team will be happy to help. Helpdesk hours are Monday-Friday 9-5pm (excluding bank holidays).

 

Date            Meeting, Event or Deadline  
18 June  SEC Panel Meeting 93 
23 June  Security Sub-Committee Meeting 126 
23 June  Change Board Meeting 55 
23 June  Small Suppliers Engagement Call 
24 June  SMETS1 Adoption and Enrolment Webinar 
28 June  Operations Group Meeting 51 
30 June  Testing Advisory Group Meeting 80 
1 July  Technical Architecture and Business Architecture Sub-Committee Meeting 67 
6 July  Operations Group Meeting 52 
7 July  Monthly Working Group Meeting – July 2021 
14 July  Smart Metering Key Infrastructure Policy Management Authority Meeting 83 
14 July  Security Sub-Committee Meeting 127 
14 July  Other SEC Parties Engagement Call 
16 July  Annual SEC Panel Q&A Webinar 
16 July  SEC Panel Meeting 94