The UK government’s Department of Energy & Climate Change has announced details of the companies that’ll be responsible for the country’s rollout of ‘smart’ gas and electricity meters.
53 million smart meters in homes and small businesses will be connected to the business systems of energy suppliers, network operators and energy service companies, enabling consumers to benefit from accurate bills and new tariffs without the need for meter reading visits.
Background support for smart metering will be organised by a new central communications body known as the Data and Communications Company (DCC).
The DCC licence has been awarded to Smart DCC Ltd, part of outsourcing specialist Capita plc. CGI IT UK Limited has a contract with Smart DCC to run the system controlling messages to and from smart meters, while Gemserv Limited will develop and maintain the Smart Energy Code.
Telefónica UK and Arqiva Smart Metering have now signed contracts with Smart DCC to provide communications services for the smart meters. Arqiva’s agreement covers Scotland and the north of England, while Telefonica will cover the south of England, the Midlands, East Anglia and Wales.
30 million UK homes and businesses are expected to have smart meters by 2020.
We spoke to telecoms consultant Ross Catley in July 2010 to learn about the technology, the opportunities and the potential pitfalls of smart metering. You can listen to the interview via the built-in audio player on our website or by downloading the MP3 file.
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