Ofgem seeks opinions on how to protect smart meter users

Consultation paper looks at management of data privacy, automated switching and remote disconnection

Ofgem has published a consultation paper aiming to strengthen the rights of those people using a smart meter ahead of the national rollout.

The rollout, planned for 2020, will be the biggest IT project in the UK to date.

The government has mandated that every home in Britain will receive a smart meter, and that the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) will be responsible for overseeing the project and protecting consumers during the process.

However, significant numbers of smart meters have already been rolled out and the consultation aims to protect these customers ahead of the wider rollout plan from the DECC.

The paper will look to enable automated switching between payment methods; remote disconnection; and the safeguarding of the consumer's right to switch supplier when they have a smart meter.

Ofgem is proposing to create licence obligations for energy suppliers that will increase consumer protection in these areas ahead of the completion of the broader smart meter programme being run by the DECC.

The paper also includes proposals on how data privacy protections will be maintained in the interim.

Energy companies will store extensive data on private energy consumption and are liaising with the Information Commissioner's Office on how to meet data protection requirements.

The consultation closes on 13 April.

A spokesperson from Ofgem explained that following consideration of the industry responses a decision document would be released later this year.