Page 9 - Gi flipbook April 2019

industry & government news

THE NORTH WILL WAIT MONTHS

FOR SWITCHABLE SMART METERS

THE NORTH FACES A LONG WAIT
FOR THE LATEST SMART METERS

PEOPLE LIVING IN the North may have Only when it accepts the gravity of the Smart meters are touted as a vital
to wait months if they want a smart situation will they be able to work out tool in the fight against climate change
meter thanks to technical issues with a revised strategy for getting smart and will eventually allow households
some of the new devices. meters rolled out across the country. to manage their energy use in a way
Dr Alan Whitehead, Labour’s This is now very urgent.” that allows them to purchase units at
Shadow Energy Minister, said ongoing The new version of switchable smart times they are cheap and store them
problems with the technology meant meters connect to a national network for use later.
that the £11 billion rollout will be held which has been developed by the Data Robert Cheesewright, of Smart
back even further. Communications Company, a part of Energy GB, the body tasked with
There are now 12 million smart Capita. The network has been split promoting the rollout, said: “We are
meters, which display household into two, with different companies frustrated on behalf of consumers
energy usage in real-time in pounds and responsible for the northern and who lose their smart service when
pence, most of which lose these crucial southern parts. they switch supplier. This issue will
smart functions if a customer switches The DCC insists its network in the be resolved in the coming months and
supplier. A new version was supposed North – anywhere above Lancashire – is smart services will be restored, but
to fix this issue, but Dr Whitehead said fully operational. The Daily Telegraph there must be no further delay.
many of these still struggle to connect reports that the problem arises from “A combination of technical
to the national network. the radio frequencies used by some difficulties and poor customer service
This will be another headache for the of the new type of device which are is holding back the rollout. It is now
government as it attempts to meet its incompatible with the network. time for everyone in the industry to
target of installing one in every home by The news will heap pressure on the step up. Delivering this is too important
the end of next year. Recently, The Daily government which is already facing to get wrong – missed appointments,
Telegraph revealed suppliers are being calls from groups including Which? technical delays and poor customer
advised to scale down installations due and Citizens Advice to move its service cannot continue.”
to technical issues. deadline to 2023. The former recently The Department for Business,
Dr Whitehead said: “The said suppliers would need to treble Energy and Industrial Strategy declined
government is in complete denial over the current number of installations to to comment when approached by
its ability to meet its own deadline. meet the cut off. The Daily Telegraph.

09

News.indd 4 14/03/2019 14:19