SEC Newsletter 27 January

Hello and welcome to this edition of the newsletter.

We held our first engagement event of 2020 last week and it was great to see so many of you there. The DCC, BEIS, Alt HAN and Smart Energy GB joined us to present informative and insightful updates; read on to find out more!

Also included in this edition are the results of the Operational Metrics Review, plus the latest on Modifications and consultations.

Abigail Hermon, SECAS, highlighting the vacant seats within the Sub-Committees (for more info, or to apply, please email our SECAS Helpdesk).

 

Spotlight on the SEC event

Thankyou to those who attended our Spotlight on the SEC event. We covered a wide range of topics including the new digital SEC, SMETS1 Enrolment and Adoption, an update on the TABASC Effectiveness Review, and other topical subjects. If you couldn’t make it don’t worry, SEC Parties can download the slides here and we hope to see you next time.

 

Our next event is our Introduction to the SEC on 10 March which is useful for those new to the SEC and Industry. Reserve your place by contacting our SECAS Helpdesk with your name, SEC Party and any dietary requirements. We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Opportunity to represent Gas Network Parties on TABASC

The Technical Architecture and Business Architecture Sub-Committee (TABASC) is looking for a new Gas Network Party representative. As a member, you will represent the views of the Gas Network SEC Party category and help to shape the technical and business architecture of Smart Metering.

To find out more about the vacant seat, please contact the SECAS Helpdesk and we will provide you with more information and the next steps.

 

Operational Metrics Review

Thankyou to all those who responded to the Operational Metrics survey to share your views on the Operational Metrics, defined in the SEC, which measure the performance of DCC services. Your responses will feed into the review process and we are working with the DCC to trial some new metrics.

A draft report of the outcomes will be ready by mid-February. We will request your views before submitting a final report to the SEC Panel for approval. Click here for more information.

 

Reminder: share your views on the SEC Panel Draft Budget

The SEC Panel welcomes your views on its Draft Budget for the next three Regulatory Years. For the first time, the Draft Budget is available for SEC Parties to view in CodeWorks. We hope this will make it easier and more convenient to share your feedback. Don’t have Codeworks access yet? Simply sign up here.

The deadline for comments is 31 January 2020. Click here to find out more.

 

Have your say on the Review of the Alt HAN Co Supplier Contract

Energy Suppliers are invited to comment on the final review of the Alt HAN Co Supplier Contract, which will be released by the end of Quarter 1 2020. The contract details the services available to Suppliers from Alt HAN Co and sub-contractors.

Bilateral sessions are being held until 7 February. The deadline for all responses to the contract is 5pm on 10 February 2020. Please contact secretariat@althanco.com for more information, to comment on the Supplier Contract or to arrange a Bilateral session.

 

SEC Version 6.23 Designated

On 20 January 2020 SEC v6.23 was designated, incorporating amendments made by MP089 ‘Changes to Appendix R ‘Common Testing Scenarios Document’ which made changes to User Entry Process Tests (UEPT) and Additive UEPT requirements in SEC Appendix R, to require the testing of three Service Request Variants (SRVs).

Additive UEPT allows Parties to use newly available functionality even though they have already completed UEPT before the release of the new functionality.

 

New Draft Proposals

Our Change Team are busy processing numerous Modifications. The following Draft Proposals are problems or issues that the proposer believes need to be addressed. If your Party is impacted by these issues, please share your feedback with our Change Team.

 

Draft Proposal

 

Issue

 

DP107 ‘SMETS1 Validation of SRV 6.15.1’ Where a Network Operator updates the Network Operator Certificate with another in error.

 

DP108 ‘SSI Job Type Role for SRO/ARO’ A need to limit access to processes or requests in the DCC Self-Service Interface (SSI) to Senior Responsible Officer and Authorised Responsible Officers only.

 

DP109 ‘ADT and Exit Quarantine file delivery mechanism’ To provide a more secure mechanism for Anomaly Detection Threshold (ADT) and Exit Quarantine files to be provided to the DCC.

 

DP110 ‘Aligning SEC Appendix D with DCC Processes’

 

During an audit carried out in June 2019 under SEC Appendix C ‘SMKI Compliance Policy’, the DCC and SMKI PMA agreed changes to be made to SEC Appendix D.

 

DP111 ‘SMDA Budget Amendments’ 

 

Proposes to amend the Smart Meter Device Assurance budget following a recommendation made by a National Audit Office report.

 

Consultations

We have issued the following Modification Report Consultations, which close on 7 March 2020:
MP084 ‘Other User Panel Seating Amendment’
MP088 ‘Power to raise modifications’

 

BEIS Publications

BEIS has published the following:

• Open Consultation – Changes to Standard Conditions of Gas and Electricity Supply Licenses, conditions of the DCC Licence, the SEC, the UNC and the MRA. Download the consultation and linked documents here. The consultation closes on 18 February 2020.

 

• Consultation response has been published on proposed amendments to the SEC and the DCC Licence to facilitate continued enrolment of SMETS1 into the DCC. The changes being made facilitate the rollout of Smart Meters and the enrolment of first generation (SMETS1) Smart Meters into the national smart data and communications network to ensure smart services can be maintained when consumers switch Supplier. The response is available for download here.

 

DCC Publications

The DCC has published a new consultation:

Delivery plan for Enduring Change of Supplier which proposes a permanent Change of Supplier (CoS) process to replace the Transitional CoS process, following direction by BEIS. The consultation closes on 21 February 2020.

 

The following consultations are still open for comment, closing on 31 January 2020:

Changes to the DCC Performance Measurement Methodology and;

• A technical Consultation on Proposed Intimate Communication Hub Interface Specification changes for Fylingdales.

 

The DCC has also published the DCC conclusions on SMETS1 consultation: Amendments to the User Testing Services Approach Document (UTSAD).

 

Would you like to join the SECAS Team?

Do you have strong analytical skills, the flexibility to manage changing and competing priorities, and a keen eye for detail? We are currently recruiting for a Change Analyst to join our SECAS Change team.

 

We are also recruiting for a Governance Consultant in our SECAS Committee Support team. If you are highly organised, have excellent written skills and stakeholder management experience, we want to hear from you!

For more information please visit the recruitment page here.

 

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  
28 January  Change Sub-Committee 11 
29 January  Testing Advisory Group Meeting 63 
31 January  Closing date for Consultation on Draft SEC Panel Budget for Regulatory Years 2020-23 
31 January  Closing date for DCC Consultation on Changes to the Intimate Communications Hub Interface Specification (ICHIS) 
31 January  Closing date for DCC Changes to the DCC Performance Measurement Methodology 
4 February  Operations Group Meeting 29 
5 February  Monthly Working Group Meeting February 2020  
6 February   Technical Architecture and Business Architecture Sub-Committee Meeting 50 
12 February   Security Sub-Committee Meeting 94 
1February   SEC Panel Meeting 77 
18 February   Smart Metering Key Infrastructure Policy Management Policy Meeting 66 
18 February 

 

Closing date for BEIS Consultation on Changes to Standard Conditions of Gas and Electricity Supply Licenses, Conditions of the DCC Licence, the SEC, the UNC and the MRA 
24 February  Operations Group Meeting 29x 
25 February  Change Sub-Committee 12 
26 February  Testing Advisory Group Meeting 64 
26 February  Security Sub-Committee Meeting 95 
26 February  Change Board Meeting 39