14 Delivering smart meters


As smart meters are rolled out around the UK, educating customers is instrumental to success and demonstrates the key role people play in the whole energy system, explains Lynne McDonald.


Inclusivity and outreach is vital to the success of the smart meter rollout. Smart meters along with the Internet of Things have the potential to transform consumers’ interaction with the energy market. Meanwhile, demand side interactions could advance new flexible alternatives to traditional network infrastructure.


Consumers will soon have access to much more information on energy use as well as data on which appliances in their homes use the most power. This knowledge will empower consumers to take control of energy use and also opens up possibilities for new value propositions and communication channels with the customer, to influence energy behaviour. Given the electrification of heat and transport combined with more distributed generation in the system, Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) have forecast increasing and more uncertain demands on networks. Enabling customers to participate in energy efficiency and demand side response activities, can only help to mitigate these emerging network challenges that exist within the whole energy system.


Rolling out the smart meter The supplier-led national smart meter rollout programme is already underway with more than three million smart meters installed across the UK. By the end of 2020, around 53 million smart meters will be fitted in more than 30 million premises.


During this installation process, energy utilities, supported by wider industry and other partners, must identify the barriers that might exist for different groups of people to interact with these services.


Solutions must be developed to ensure all households realise the benefits, which is particularly important for those who are vulnerable and living in fuel poverty. This demographic can benefit considerably from the low carbon transition but have the least ability and require the most assistance to access technology.


With this in mind, UK Power Networks through its Low Carbon Networks funded project “energywise” (registered as Vulnerable Customers and Energy Efficiency)


“By the end of 2020, around 53 million smart meters will be


fitted in more than 30 million premises.”


has launched a household energy saving campaign in East London. The campaign combines smart metering solutions, energy efficiency measures, and a time-of-use tariff. Based in Tower Hamlets, the energywise project is looking at the support needed by fuel poor households to manage household energy use and the consequent energy bills (see ‘Energywise: saving energy’). The recruitment campaign ran from May to September 2015, approaching 1,352 households and received a positive response from the community, with 538 households signing up, a response rate of 40%. Importantly, this campaign has provided invaluable insight into how to engage better with vulnerable and fuel poor customers in the roll-out of ‘smart’. In particular, use of a simple letter to introduce the campaign followed by face to face engagement from a professional


team located in the local community proved successful, accounting for 82% of the consumer sign-ups.


For example, following a visit from one of the project’s field officers, a customer said: “The field officer was polite, made me feel comfortable and made the project very clear.” Meanwhile, a second customer said: “The field officer was lovely, if they hadn’t knocked on the door, I probably wouldn’t have signed up. They were the deal maker.” The project has also involved testing key parts of the smart meter infrastructure, including smart meters in flats and prepayment smart meters. It has shed light on the benefits these can bring to consumers and how best to roll out smart meter sets in Multiple Dwelling Units. As a result, the UK’s first end to end installation of residential smart meter sets, operating across a Multi Dwelling Unit/ tall and difficult building solution has been demonstrated. Critically, this has led to early insights into the management and commercial arrangements of a Multi Dwelling Unit. What’s more, some of the first SMETS1 compliant smart meters with prepayment functionality were installed by British Gas outside of its trial environment. This provided an opportunity for the energy provider to gain valuable early insight to the extent prepayment customers engage with smart meter sets. It is vital that the all consumers including hard to reach, vulnerable and diverse consumers have the ability to access the benefits of using smart meters and energywise is showing how that can be done. The results of energywise have shown that partnerships and trusted third parties have proved successful in engaging with hard-to-reach, vulnerable and diverse consumers.


Lynne McDonald is Programme Manager of Distribution System Operator (DSO) Readiness at UK Power Networks.


Energywise: saving energy and engaging consumers Energywise is the first project to investigate how distribution network operators (DNOs), in collaboration with a suppliers, charity groups and local community actors, can engage with vulnerable customers in order to facilitate energy efficiency and provide networks services, such as Demand Side Response (DSR).


A recent energywise project will help industry better understand how to help fuel poor households reduce energy use and bills. The project aims to demonstrate:


n how network operators can work with energy suppliers and locally trusted intermediaries to deliver energy saving and demand side response campaigns to fuel poor households. Energywise is working with energy supplier British Gas, charities such as National Energy Action, social housing landlords and a community centre.


n that trusted intermediaries have a very real role in engagement through their participation in recruiting and engaging consumers for the installation of ‘smart’ meters.


n if fuel poor consumer behaviour can change and the extent when given access to energy efficiency and demand side response measures.


n how their move and reduction in demand may benefit the electricity network by deferring or avoiding network reinforcement.


n how to overcome current technical limitations in the smart meter rollout, including prepayment smart meters, also smart meters in tall and difficult buildings (referred as Multiple Dwelling Units) and the benefits they can bring to consumers.


Start Date: End Date:


Total Funding:


January 2014 December 2017 £5.49 million


Funding from Low Carbon Networks Fund: £3.32 million Funding from UK Power Networks: Funding from our partners:


£0.93 million £1.24 million


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