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Control of Britain's 39 Million Smart Meters Passes to Non-Profit Startup
Control of Britain's 39 million smart meters passes to a non-profit successor to Capita's Smart DCC.
Key points
- Smart DCC's 13-year licence ends as the network becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of the Smart Energy Code Company.
- Capita's market value has plunged 97% in the last decade, the article says.
- Smart DCC agreed in July to pay £200,000 into a consumer redress fund.
Why it matters. The new operator says it will place a greater focus on cost, transparency and consumer needs, while three in 10 households still do not have a smart meter.
Control of Great Britain's 39 million smart meters has passed from Capita's Smart DCC to a not-for-profit successor this week. The handover ends a 13-year licence, and the new operator, a subsidiary of the Smart Energy Code Company, has promised a seamless transition. Capita says the network has 99.6% availability across more than 39.2m meters. According to the government's spending watchdog, another £1.7bn may be required to complete the rollout.
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Control of Britain's 39 Million Smart Meters Passes to Non-Profit Startup
Control of Britain's 39 million smart meters is passing to a non-profit startup, according to The Guardian. The handover marks the end of the licence held by Smart DCC, a subsidiary of Capita. The change follows years of spiralling costs and delays in the smart meter programme. Smart DCC runs the communications network that links the meters to energy suppliers. Ending its licence reflects long-standing criticism of the programme's performance. The new operator's plans for the network and any impact on consumers were not detailed in the report.