SEC Newsletter 20 June 2019

Welcome! The longest day of the year is nearly upon us and it’s only three weeks until our annual SEC Party Engagement Day. If you are a SEC Party, make a note in your diary to join us on 11 July 2019.

Come along to meet the SEC Panel, hear about key developments from a range of Stakeholders, and take part in a range of expert breakout sessions. Please find the draft agenda here. Simply email SECAS@gemserv.com to reserve your place.

Places are limited to two per SEC Party and are booking up quickly. The day is designed for you and we look forward to seeing you there.

Whether you are a SEC Party or not we hope you enjoy this newsletter edition!

 

Security Sub-Committee – New Small Supplier Representative

We are pleased to announce that the Small Supplier vacant seat on the Security Sub-Committee has been filled by Neil Adams (Bristol Energy). A full list of members can be found here.

The Electricity Network seat remains vacant and the annual election process is due to commence next month.

 

Privacy Controls Framework Version 2.5 Published

Version 2.5 of the Privacy Controls Framework was approved by the SEC Panel on 10 May 2019. Updates have been made to Appendix B to include the new Privacy Self-Assessment questions written by the Independent Privacy Auditor.

Take a look at both clean and tracked changed versions V2.5 which can be found here on our website.

 

Updated plain English description spreadsheet for CPL Meter Models published

SECAS have collaborated with the UK Metering Forum (UKMF) to aid SEC Parties’ understanding of Certified Product List (CPL) Meter Model entries, by providing a means to map Meter Models contained in the CPL (in the SEC required format) to an industry-wide understood ‘plain English’ description.

Updates to this version include five new instances of Meter Model hardware information. The spreadsheet and further information can be found here.

 

Watch out for: Updated BAD and TAD documents

Keep a look out for the updated SMETS1 Services Release Business Architecture Document (BAD) and Technical Architecture Document (TAD) which will be published by the end of the week. The documents will be updated to include SMETS1 content where previously they convered up to Release 2.0.

Further information, including the updated documents will be made available here by Friday 21 June 2019.

 

SEC Version 6.13 Designated

On 14 June 2019, SEC v6.13 was designated. Following consideration of stakeholder responses to a consultation by the DCC in April, BEIS has decided to:

  • Approve the Migration Testing Approach Document; and
  • Incorporate the amended version of the SEC Variation Testing Approach Document for SMETS1 Services into the SEC.

Please find more information here.

 

Modifications currently out for Consultation

The following Modification Proposals have been raised with the closing date for responses 9 July 2019:

MP071, Second-Comer Charging – Will seek to remove the reference to the Second-Comer charging arrangement for High Volume and Low Volume Gateway Connections to reflect the practicalities of connection.

MP073, Alteration of SMKI Repository information and documentation – Will seek to ensure clarity in the SEC that no information in the Smart Metering Key Infrastructure (SMKI) Repository is altered or removed without the express agreement of the SMKI- Policy Management Authority (PMA).

MP074, Clarity on Obtaining SMKI Device Certificates – Will seek to align the wording in the SEC with the ‘Agreed Interpretation’ agreed and issued by the SMKI-PMA and Security Sub-Committee (SSC) regarding requesting Device Certificates.

The Change Team invite your feedback on the following:

  • SECMP0053 ‘Amend Target Response Times’ has a Proposed and Alternative Solution – we need to know which you, the industry, would prefer. Open until 8 July, it seeks the expected response times for time-critical Service Requests in the SEC to align closer to the practicalities.
  • A new Draft Proposal DP077 ‘DCC Service Flagging’ has been raised and we want to know if the issue is impacting you and your business. Issues have been identified where the DCC Service Flagging is incorrect and may hinder the switching process for some customers with Smart Meters.

Please email your feedback to SEC.Change@gemserv.com. To listen to our Modcasts please click here – a really useful way to keep up to date with all things Mod-related!

 

BEIS Consultation responses

SMETS2 v2.0 and SMETS2 v3.1 Installation Validity Period (IVP) and Maintenance Validity Period (MVP) end dates.

BEIS responded to the consultation on 13 June 2019. They issued a response to SEC Parties, Ofgem, the Transitional Business Design Group and other interested parties, welcoming views on a proposal to re-designate the Technical Specifications Applicability Tables on 4 July 2019.

The deadline for responses is 27 June 2019.

Smart Export Guarantee – the future of small-scale low-carbon generation

BEIS has also responded to its earlier consultation on the proposed Smart Export Guarantee, replacing the Feed-in Tariff, together with proposed electricity supply licence changes. You can view the response here including the:

 

Ofgem Draft Consumer Vulnerability Strategy

Ofgem are consulting on their updated Consumer Vulnerability Strategy. It intends to protect consumers in vulnerable situations until 2025, and focusses on five areas:

  • Improving identification of vulnerability and smart use of data;
  • Supporting those struggling with their bills;
  • Driving significant improvements in customer service;
  • Encouraging positive and inclusive innovation; and
  • Working with partners to tackle issues that cut across multiple sectors.

The deadline for responses is 8 August 2019.

 

Ofgem Smart Meter Rollout: Progress, Future Plans and Regulatory Obligations

On 19 June Ofgem published an open letter which outlines their observations on suppliers’ smart meter progress reports and rollout plans. It also looks forward to the next phases of the rollout.

You can read the letter here.

 

Date   Meeting, Event or Deadline  
20 June   Closing date for Refinement Consultation on SECMP 00056 
21 June   Deadline for comments on Ofgem strategic review of microbusiness energy market 
25 June   Change Sub-Committee 04 
26 June   Technical Advisory Group Meeting 56 
26 June  Security Sub-Committee Meeting 80 
27 June   Closing date for BEIS consultation on DCC design, development and implementation of smart meter enduring Change of Supplier 
27 June   Closing date for BEIS consultation on Technical Specifications Applicability Table Designation date 
2 July   Operations Group Meeting 22 
3 July   Monthly Working Group Meeting – July 2019 
8 July   Modification Question Hour 
8 July   Closing date for Refinement Consultation on SECMP0053 ‘Amend Target Response Times’ 
9 July   Closing date for consultations on MP071 ‘Second-Comer Charging’; 

MP073 ‘Alteration of SMKI Repository information and documentation’ and  MP074 ‘Clarity on Obtaining SMKI Device Certificates 

10 July   Security Sub-Committee Meeting 81 
11 July   SEC Engagement Day 
12 July   SEC AGM and SEC Panel Meeting 70 
16 July   Smart Metering Key Infrastructure Policy Management Authority Meeting 59