SEC Newsletter 26 November 2020

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

In this edition you will find out how to join your SEC Panel representatives for a monthly engagement call, learn about vacancies within SECAS, and who has recently joined the Technical Architecture and Business Architecture Sub-Committee (TABASC). Read on to learn about Draft Proposals, Modcasts, and more. We hope that you enjoy this newsletter.

 

Calling Small Suppliers and Other Parties – Join your monthly Engagement Call

All Small Suppliers and Other SEC Parties are encouraged to join your SEC Panel representatives for a monthly SEC Panel engagement call. This is your opportunity to raise questions, share views, and hear about important updates that impact your SEC Party type. The next calls take place on:

  • Other SEC Parties – 9 December 2020 at 15.00.
  • Small Suppliers – 16 December 2020 at 15.00.

If you don’t yet have the invitation in your calendar, please contact the SECAS Helpdesk.

 

We welcome a new TABASC Member

Thank you to those who participated in the recent Technical Architecture and Business Architecture Sub-Committee (TABASC) elections, either by nominating a candidate or voting. As a result, we welcome one new member and five returning members from 30 November 2020.

Alastair Cobb from Landis+Gyr joins the TABASC as a new member, to represent Other SEC Parties. Those returning for consecutive terms are; Rochelle Harrison from British Gas, Martin Christie from EON and Alex Hurcombe from EDF Energy as Large Supplier representatives, Terry Underwood from Utiligroup as a Small Supplier representative, and Alan Creighton as an Electricity Network representative.

Thank you to all outgoing TABASC Members for their support. The first meeting of the new membership is on 3 December 2020. If you have any questions, please contact the SECAS Helpdesk.

 

Would you like to join the SECAS Team?

We are currently recruiting for the following positions to join the SECAS team:

  • Senior Operations Analyst – Do you have strong stakeholder management, organisational and analytical skills? Would you like an opportunity to work in a dedicated team whose responsibility is to assure the security of Smart Meter Devices? Click here for more information about this role.

 

  • Smart Energy Consultant – Do you have a sound understanding of the Smart Metering infrastructure? Do you also have the skills, knowledge and technical confidence to work with industry stakeholders and SEC Sub-Committees? Click here for more information about this role.

 

Please visit the recruitment page here for more information.

 

New Draft Proposal

The following Draft Proposal has been raised since our last Newsletter:

 

 

DP148 ‘IVP Extension for pre-SMETS2 v4.2 Devices’

The SEC sets out the Smart Metering Technical Specifications. To ensure interoperability, the dates that these Technical Specifications can be used are set out within SEC Schedule 11 ‘Technical Specification Applicability Tables’ (TSAT).

In 2020, the UK government issued social distancing guidance to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, meaning only essential meter installations took place. If the existing Installation Validity Period (IVP) end-date of 27 April 2021 remains, and the reduced speed of installations continues to take place, then thousands of Devices will be wasted.

 

Newly Released Consultations

Following the SEC Panel meeting on 13 November 2020, two consultations have been issued. One is a Modification Report Consultation to help provide a decision at the Change Board, and the other is a Refinement Consultation. Both consultations will close on 4 December 2020.

Additionally, read on to find out about the Request For Information (RFI) for a Modification Proposal which you are encouraged to respond to.

 

 

 

SECMP0015 ‘GPF timestamp for reading instantaneous Gas values

Instantaneous Gas Smart Metering Equipment (GSME) register values can be read from the Gas Proxy Function (GPF). These aren’t normally in-line with the readings on the GSME, since the GSME only provides intermittent updates to the GPF, typically once every 30 minutes. The Supplier will not know how up-to-date the information is without a timestamp for when the GSME last updated the GPF.

This has been issued for Refinement Consultation which you can find here.

 

 

 

MP111 ‘SMDA Budget Amendments’

 

Following the National Audit Office’s (NAO) report in November 2018 “Rolling Out Smart Meters”, the Government Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) commissioned an independent review into Device interoperability on Change of Supplier (CoS).

The outcome of the review was published in October 2019, and one recommendation was for “Energy Suppliers and the Smart Metering Device Assurance (SMDA) Board to review the SMDA funding model which would ensure SMDA can provide long-term test assurance”. Following this recommendation, amendments have been suggested to the SMDA funding model.

This has been issued for Modification Report Consultation which you can find here.

 

 

 

MP085 ‘Synchronisation of Smart Meter voltage measurement periods’

 

Electricity Network Parties believed that during the development of the Smart Meter Technical Specification, the average Root Mean Square (RMS) voltage readings from Smart Meters would be measured across a consistent period. For example, an average would be made across a 30-minute period starting on the hour and on the half hour.

This is not currently codified in the Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS) or the Great Britain Companion Specification (GBCS).

A RFI has been issued to seek feedback on this which can be found here.

 

Modcasts

You are invited to listen to our Modcasts to hear about the latest updates from SEC Change. You can listen to our latest Modcast here, where we talk through a new Draft Proposal, the Change Sub-Committee and Change Board outcomes, plus a new version of the SEC coming into effect. Keep a look out on the Change Reporting webpage next week for a Modcast about the November 2020 SEC Release.

 

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.

 

Ofgem Publications

Ofgem has published the following:

 

 

 

 

BEIS Publications

BEIS has published the following:

 

 

 

  • Response to consultations on Code and Licence Changes – BEIS has published its responses to consultations on changes following confirmation of the new post-2020 policy framework and an additional DCC licence condition relating to the DCC’s plans for Network Evolution.

 

 

DCC Publications

The DCC has published the following:

 

 

 

 

Business Standards Institution (BSI) Publications

BSI has published the following:

  • PAS 1879, Energy smart appliances – Demand Side Response Operation – Code of Practice – This publicly available specification sets out a common definition of Demand Side Response (DSR) services for actors operating within the consumer energy supply chain and recommendations to support the operation of energy smart appliances (ESAs). To access the consultation documents and to respond to the consultation, please register here. This consultation closes on 9 December 2020.

 

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  
1 December    Operations Group Meeting 39 
2 December  Monthly Working Group meeting – December 2020 
3 December   Technical Architecture and Business Architecture Sub-Committee Meeting 60 
9 December  Security Sub-Committee Meeting 114 
9 December  Testing Advisory Group Meeting 74 
11 December SEC Panel Meeting 87 
15 December  Smart Metering Key Infrastructure Policy Management Authority Meeting 76 
18 December  Change Board Meeting 49