On 22 December 2021, the Change Board decided to approve MP188 ‘Temporary Communications Hub Ordering and Delivery Rules extension’. An updated version of the Smart Energy Code (SEC) came into effect today, on 23 December 2021 to implement MP188.

The Data Communications Company (DCC) considered that an extension to the validity period of the Temporary Communications Hub Ordering and Delivery Rules (TCHODR) should be granted, so that requirements on 2022 orders could be amended and Communications Hub volumes secured. This document was set to expire as of 1 January 2022 but the end-date on the TCHODR has now been removed by MP188. Instead, any requirements set out within the TCHODR will include a specific end date agreed by the Panel following consultation.

The DCC has further developed the TCHODR to account for the 2022 orders. This took place separate to this modification through industry engagement and consultation. On 17 December 2021, the SEC Panel signed off these changes as per the process set out in SEC Section F5.1A.

What parts of the SEC were affected?

The following parts of the SEC were affected:

• SEC Section F ‘Smart Metering System Requirements’

Where can I access the redlining?

The redlined changes can be found 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?

Further information can be found on the MP188 page of our website. If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.

We have provided further details of the implementation approach for SECMP0007 ‘Firmware Updates to IHDs and PPMIDs’, and what it will mean for you being able to fully utilise the solution following the November 2021 SEC Release.

The SEC documentation changes and Data Services Provider (DSP) elements will be implemented on 4 November 2021 (November 2021 SEC Release). The DCC and SECAS propose that the Communication Services Provider (CSP) system changes be delivered in the June 2022 SEC Release with the subsequent Communications Hub firmware updates being rolled out as soon as they are available. SECAS and the DCC consulted on this approach with the industry before the SEC Panel agreed it on 16 April 2021.

Please note that Prepayment Meter Interface Devices (PPMIDs) and Home Area Network (HAN) Connected Auxiliary Load Control Switches (HCALCSs) can only be updated over-the-air (OTA) once the associated Communications Hub has its firmware updated to reflect the SECMP0007 solution.

We have provided further details below on what benefits Parties will receive from each date:

November 2021 SEC Release

The main benefit implemented here will be the added DSP Device level firmware tracking. Currently, once firmware updates pass DSP validation, Service Users have no knowledge of where their updates are in between the DSP and Communications Hubs. Effectively this means that there can be a multiday waiting period with no further updates for Users between having their Service Request accepted by the DCC and the target device responding to confirm that the firmware update has been successfully received or rejected.

From the November 2021 SEC Release, Service Users will receive new DCC Alerts (N60 and N61) to confirm that their Electricity Smart Metering Equipment (ESME) and Gas Smart Metering Equipment (GSME) firmware updates have either been successfully delivered or failed to be delivered to the associated Communications Hub. This will give Service Users more visibility over the progress of their firmware updates and allow them to identify and mitigate issues more quickly. This same tracking will apply to PPMIDs and HCALCSs once the necessary CSP system changes and Communications Hub firmware updates have been implemented from June 2022.

Also, a new screen will be added to the Self-Service Interface (SSI) for “Firmware Distribution Tracking”, providing Users with a view of the Processing Status of each Update Firmware request within a recent time period.

PPMID and HCALCS OTA functionality

PPMIDs and HCALCSs will be over-the-air (OTA) updateable once the associated Communications Hubs have received their firmware updates. The DCC will work with its Service Providers and Users to plan the Communications Hub firmware release and deliver these as soon as they become available. The DCC is putting together a roadmap of how this release will be rolled out. Once this is available, we will publish it on this page.

Where can I find further information?

Further information on the solution itself and the legal text changes can be found on the SECMP0007 page of our website. If you have any questions, you can call the SECAS Helpdesk at 020 7090 7755 or email sec.change@gemserv.com.