Hello and a warm welcome to our latest SEC newsletter. We hope you have been enjoying the sunshine!
This edition includes information about several consultations and responses which may be of interest to SEC Parties plus a request for nominations for Security Sub-Committee membership.
With one week to go before the Annual SEC Engagement Day, we look forward to seeing many of you there. Details including the agenda are available here. We have had a great response; however, a few places are still available so if you’re interested in attending please email SECAS@gemserv.com.
Would you like to join the Security Sub-Committee?
The Security Sub-Committee (SSC) is a SEC Panel Sub-Committee which oversees, reviews and advises on SEC security arrangements. SSC members serve a term of 24 months and the current term for seven members ends in September. We are therefore calling for nominations to fill the following seats:
- Four Large Suppliers;
- One Small Supplier;
- One Electricity Network; and
- One Other SEC Party.
Please see the nomination form for further details. If you would like to take this opportunity to nominate yourself, or someone else, please complete and return the form to SECAS@gemserv.com by 22 July 2019.
Code Administrator Code of Practice Engagement Event
The Code Administrator Code of Practice (CACoP) facilitates best practice and transparency in the code modification processes and helps to protect the interests of small market participants and consumers.
On 16 July 2019, CACoP is holding an Engagement Event – more details and how to book can be found here. The event will include:
- CACoP Forward Plan;
- How CACoP members engage; and
- The Energy Codes Review.
SEC Designations
The following SEC Designations have been made:
- SEC Version 6.14 – Following consideration of stakeholder responses to a consultation issued by the DCC in May, BEIS decided to re-designate SEC Appendix AL ‘SMETS1 Transition and Migration Approach Document’ (TMAD) on 21 June 2019 as Version 1.2. More information can be found here.
- SEC Version 6.15 – This designation came into effect on 27 June 2019 to implement SECMP0058 ‘Changes to the governance of the Self-Service Interface’ as part of the June 2019 SEC Release. More information can be found here.
New Modcast on SECMP0053 ‘Amend target Response Times’
Our latest Modcast focuses solely on SECMP0053 ‘Amend target Response Times’ and is well worth a listen. It explains everything to do with this Modification Proposal – who it affects, the issue it’s trying to solve and the solution it offers. It is currently out for Refinement Consultation and we encourage you to respond to this consultation by 8 July 2019. Please click here to listen.
Code Administrator Code of Practice (CACoP) newsletter
The first CACoP newsletter has been published here. As well as promoting its Engagement Event, the newsletter includes a variety of articles on cross code issues including; Brexit, the Supplier of Last Resort process and CACoP workplan.
BEIS Consultations and responses
SEC Subsidiary document amendments and designation date supporting go live of initial DCC SMETS1 Service operating capability. The consultation will support the interoperability of SMETS1 devices when consumers change energy Supplier. The deadline for responses is 9 July 2019.
Establishing a mechanism for recouping smart meter communication licensee administration costs. The affected licences include standard conditions of electricity supply licences, gas shipper licences and transmission licences as well as a special condition of National Grid’s gas transportation licence and the DCC licence. The deadline for responses is 9 August 2019.
Earlier this year, BEIS consulted on the Smart Export Guarantee (to replace the Feed-in Tariff). BEIS has now published its response as Part A – the response and draft modifications to licence conditions and Part B – response on the initial proposals for licence changes.
BEIS Direction on GBCS and SMETS changes
BEIS have directed changes to SMETS v3.2 and GBCS v4.2 and corresponding changes to the Technical Specification Applicability Tables and you can find the letter here. These changes take effect today, 4 July 2019.
DCC consultations and publications
- Changes to the Enduring Testing Approach Do
- cument consultation relates to the fast-tracking of Pending Products Combination Testing on security grounds. The closing date is 11 July 2019;
- Release 2.0, lessons learned report was not a formal consultation but the DCC is seeking feedback from SEC Parties. Deadline for comments is 18 July 2019.
Ofgem Publications
Ofgem has the following open consultations:
- Switching Programme and Retail Code Consolidation: Proposed changes to licences and industry codes. There are two closing dates: 29 July 2019 for the REC Manager role, and future MPAS governance, and 9 September 2019 for the remainder of the consultation; and
- Draft Consumer Vulnerability Strategy 2025 with the closing date of 8 August 2019.
Ofgem has published its decision for Suppliers to be obliged to gather half hourly data from customers meters, unless customers opt out, enabling Ofgem access to the data for settlement purposes. Microbusiness customers can no longer opt out.
SEC Party Questionnaire Results 2019
In May 2019, SECAS issued a questionnaire to all SEC Parties regarding their business needs and DCC Services utilisation. You can read the results here.