SEC version 61.0 came into effect on 30 June 2022 to implement the June 2022 SEC Release. This included six Modification Proposals and changes made by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to support the Enduring Change of Supplier (ECoS) arrangements.

Summary of SEC modification changes

SECMP0015 ‘GPF timestamp for reading instantaneous Gas values’: Only the DCC User Interface Specification (DUIS) and Message Mapping Catalogue (MMC) document changes required for SECMP0015 have been implemented, alongside other DUIS and MMC changes. The functionality, including the DCC System and Data Services Provider (DSP) System changes, and the associated changes to the remaining technical specifications will not be implemented until the November 2022 SEC Release (3 November 2022). Therefore, there will be no User impacts resulting from SECMP0015 in the June 2022 SEC Release.

In the November 2022 SEC Release, SECMP0015 will allow Parties and Devices reading the instantaneous values from the Gas Proxy function (GPF) to know the time on the Gas Smart Metering Equipment’s (GSME’s) clock when the value was provided.

SECMP0024 ‘Enduring Approach to Communication Hub Firmware Management’ has introduced a new DCC Alert that will be sent to Suppliers upon firmware being activated on Communications Hubs which contains the Communications Hub firmware version.

MP104 ‘Security Improvements’ has implemented a new DCC validation check to identify if DCC Users are Digitally Signing Extensible Markup Language (XML) format Service Requests and Signed Pre-Commands with a User Role Signing Private Key.

MP159 ‘Credit Cover Review’ has addressed inefficiencies within SEC Section J3 ‘Credit Cover’ and has added clarity to the areas that have been previously misinterpreted.

MP195 ‘Security Sub-Committee guidance on Device Assurance’ has added an obligation on the Security Sub-Committee (SSC) to develop and maintain a guidance document for Device security assurance.

MP199 ‘June 2022 SEC Release Supporting Changes’ has made minor additions and amendments to the DUIS which would ensure greater clarity.

ECoS-related changes

The ECoS-related changes impact SEC Appendix AB ‘Service Request Processing Document’ (SRPD) and SEC Appendix AD ‘DCC User Interface Specification’ (DUIS). The nature of the ECoS-related changes being for the June 2022 SEC Release is technical, and essentially reflects additional checks that the DCC will be carrying out on Service Requests and Signed Pre-Commands to ensure that they will be successfully processed by Devices. The detail of these additional checks can be found in the BEIS designation letter check in the link below.

• BEIS designation letter and accompanying annexes

What parts of the SEC were affected?

• Section A ‘Definitions and Interpretation’
• Section G ‘Security’
• Section J ‘Charges’
• Schedule 11 ‘TS Applicability Tables’
• Appendix AB ‘Service Request Processing Document’
• Appendix AD ‘DCC User Interface Specification’
• Appendix AF ‘Message Mapping Catalogue’

Where can I access the legal text?

The redlined changes for the documents available on CodeWorks can be found via the links below:

• Getting access to CodeWorks
• Already registered? Log in here at codeworks.energy

The redlining for the DUIS and the MMC can be found at the end of the June 2022 SEC Release page here.

Our Document Log lists the versions of each SEC document now in effect following this release.

You can download clean versions of the individual SEC documents from the SEC and Supporting Documents section of our website or via CodeWorks.

Where can I find further information?

If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.

On 10 June 2022, an updated version of the SEC came into effect to re-designate three SEC Appendices as well as an update to the Migration Testing Approach Document for SMETS1 Services, which is a code required document.

This is in support of the Data Communications Company (DCC) Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS) 1 service.

Documents

• The designation letter and accompanying annexes, including the redlining can be found here.
• The DCC letter and associated annex confirming modification of the Migration Testing Approach Document for SMETS1 Services can be found here.

What parts of the SEC were affected?

• SEC Appendix J ‘Enduring Testing Approach Document’
• SEC Appendix AK ‘SEC Variation Testing Approach Document for SMETS1 Services’
• SEC Appendix AL ‘SMETS1 Transition and Migration Approach Document’

Our Document Log lists the versions of each SEC document now in effect following this release.

You can download the individual SEC documents from the SEC and Supporting Documents section of our website or via CodeWorks.

Where can I find further information?

If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.

On 15 March 2022, an updated version of the SEC came into effect to re-designate SEC Appendix AL ‘SMETS1 Transition and Migration Approach Document’. This is in support of the Data Communications Company (DCC) Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS) 1 service.

The designation letter and accompanying annexes, including the redlining can be found here.

What parts of the SEC were affected?

• SEC Appendix AL ‘SMETS1 Transition and Migration Approach Document’

Our Document Log lists the versions of each SEC document now in effect following this release.

You can download the individual SEC documents from the SEC and Supporting Documents section of our website or via CodeWorks.

Where can I find further information?

If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.

On 17 December 2021, an updated version of the SEC came into effect to designate SEC Appendix AT ‘SMETS1 Cryptographic Key Management Policy’ along with consequential changes to SEC Section A ‘Definitions and Interpretation’. Also, SEC Appendix AM ‘SMETS1 Supporting Requirements’ has been re-designated. This is in support of the Data Communications Company (DCC) Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS) 1 service.

Summary of changes

As required by SEC Section L ‘Smart Metering Key Infrastructure and DCC Key Infrastructure’ 14.8, the DCC has consulted on a draft of the SMETS1 Cryptographic Key Management Policy (the “Policy”) as well as on corresponding changes to the SMETS1 Supporting Requirements (to reflect the proposed position on key rotation in the Policy). The Policy was approved by the Smart Metering Key Infrastructure (SMKI) Policy Management Authority (PMA) prior to the consultation. The Policy has now been designated into the SEC as Appendix AT.

Changes have also been made to the SMETS1 Supporting Requirements to make provisions for Device specific behaviours in relation to the Initial Operating Capability (IOC), Middle Operating Capability (MOC) and Final Operating Capability (FOC) cohorts that have arisen out of testing.

The designation letter and associated redlining can be found here.

What parts of the SEC were affected?

• SEC Section A ‘Definitions and Interpretation’
• SEC Appendix AM ‘SMETS1 Supporting Requirements’
• SEC Appendix AT ‘SMETS1 Cryptographic Key Management Policy’

Where can I access the legal text?

The redlined changes for Section A are also available on CodeWorks via the links below:

• Getting access to CodeWorks
• Already registered? Log in here at codeworks.energy

Our Document Log lists the versions of each SEC document now in effect following this release.

You can download the individual SEC documents from the SEC and Supporting Documents section of our website or via CodeWorks.

Where can I find further information?

If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.

On 8 October 2021, an updated version of the SEC came into effect to implement a designation made by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). This is in support of the Data Communications Company (DCC) Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS) 1 service.

The BEIS designation letter and accompanying annexes, including the redlining, can be found here.

What parts of the SEC were affected?

• SEC Section A ‘Definitions and Interpretation’
• SEC Appendix Z ‘CPL Requirements Document’
• SEC Appendix AM ‘SMETS1 Supporting Requirements’

Where can I access the legal text?

The redlined changes for Section A and Appendix Z are also available on CodeWorks via the links below:

• Getting access to CodeWorks
• Already registered? Log in here at codeworks.energy

Our Document Log lists the versions of each SEC document now in effect following this release.

You can download the individual SEC documents from the SEC and Supporting Documents section of our website or via CodeWorks.

Where can I find further information?

If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.

Today, on 25 August 2021, an updated version of the SEC came into effect to implement a designation made by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). This is in support of the Data Communications Company (DCC) Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS) 1 service.

Summary of changes

This designation re-classifies certain categories of SMETS1 Prepayment Meter Interface Devices (PPMIDs) as SMETS1 In-Home Displays (IHDs). Doing so removes the need for the missing data to be provided, as such data is not required by the DCC to support the migration or operation of IHDs. This will allow SMETS1 Installations with these Devices (presently blocked from migration) to be migrated onto the DCC SMETS1 Service.

The BEIS designation letter and accompanying annexes, including the redlining, can be found here.

What parts of the SEC were affected?

• SEC Appendix AK ‘SEC Variation Testing Approach Document for SMETS1 Services’
• SEC Appendix AL ‘Transition Migration Approach Document’

Where can I access the legal text?

The redlined changes for Appendix AK are also available on CodeWorks via the links below:

• Getting access to CodeWorks
• Already registered? Log in here at codeworks.energy

Our Document Log lists the versions of each SEC document now in effect following this release.

You can download the individual SEC documents from the SEC and Supporting Documents section of our website or via CodeWorks.

Where can I find further information?

If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.

On 30 July 2021, an updated version of the SEC came into effect to implement a designation made by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). This included the designation of SEC Variation Testing Approach Documents (SVTADs) for the Communications Hub and Network (CH&N) and the Enduring Change of Suppler (ECoS) arrangements as well as amendments to SEC Appendix B ‘Organisation Certificate Policy’.

The changes made to SEC Appendix B are to clarify details of how a particular field in XML Signing Certificates should be populated by a User not acting in a Supplier role.

Each of these (re)designations follows from earlier consultations conducted by the Data Communications Company (DCC) or BEIS, the details of which are explained in the direction letter.

The BEIS designation letter and accompanying annexes, including the redlining, can be found here.

What parts of the SEC were affected?

• SEC Section A ‘Definitions and Interpretation’
• SEC Appendix B ‘Organisation Certificate Policy’
• SEC Appendix AQ ‘SEC Variation Testing Approach Document for the CH&N Arrangements’
• SEC Appendix AR ‘SEC Variation Testing Approach Document for the Enduring Change of Supplier Arrangements’

Where can I access the legal text?

The redlined changes for SEC Section A are also available on CodeWorks via the links below:

• Getting access to CodeWorks
• Already registered? Log in here at codeworks.energy

Our Document Log lists the versions of each SEC document now in effect following this release.

You can download the individual SEC documents from the SEC and Supporting Documents section of our website or via CodeWorks.

Where can I find further information?

If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.

An updated version of the SEC came into effect today, 2 July 2021, to implement a designation made by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

This includes an update to the Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS) 1 Transition and Migration Approach Document (TMAD) to reduce the timeline for submission of Daily Migration Demand values to two weeks and to drive efficiencies in the migration forecasts and in the demand allocation process.

The BEIS designation letter and accompanying annexes, including the redlining can be found here.

What parts of the SEC were affected?

• SEC Appendix AL ‘SMETS1 Transition and Migration Approach Document’

Our Document Log lists the versions of each SEC document now in effect following this release.

You can download the individual SEC documents from the SEC and Supporting Documents section of our website or via CodeWorks.

Where can I find further information?

If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.

An updated version of the SEC came into effect today, 16 June 2021, to implement a designation made by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

This includes an update to SEC Appendix M ‘Smart Metering Key Infrastructure (SMKI) Interface Design Specification’ (SMKI IDS) to simplify the process by which Certificate Signing Requests can be submitted by those accessing the SMKI service over the internet.

• The BEIS direction letter can be found on our latest news page here.
• The redlining can be found here.

What parts of the SEC were affected?

• SEC Appendix M ‘SMKI Interface Design Specification’

Our Document Log lists the versions of each SEC document now in effect following this release.

You can download the individual SEC documents from the SEC and Supporting Documents section of our website or via CodeWorks.

Where can I find further information?

If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.

An updated version of the SEC came into effect today, 14 June 2021, to implement a designation made by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

This includes an update to the Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS) 1 Transition and Migration Approach Document (TMAD) to reflect DCC’s contract with Secure SMSO Limited (company number 10611361) moving to Secure Meters (UK) Limited (company number 02199653).

The BEIS designation letter and accompanying annexes, including the redlining can be found here.

What parts of the SEC were affected?

• SEC Appendix AL ‘SMETS1 Transition and Migration Approach Document’

Our Document Log lists the versions of each SEC document now in effect following this release.

You can download the individual SEC documents from the SEC and Supporting Documents section of our website or via CodeWorks.

Where can I find further information?

If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.