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NETWORK / 9 / SEPTEMBER 2016 The DCC's work continues Although around 2.89 million smart meters have already been installed in the UK, none of these meet the speci cation requirement – itself yet to be decided – of the nal rollout and are not compatible with the DCC network. These will need to be incorporated on to the DCC or replaced with nal speci cation meters. The DCC will publish a dra report on the adoption of SMETS 1 meters in September. It will then also turn its attention to the ongoing issues with power outage alerts that came to light late last year. The "last gasp" and " rst breath" signals given by smart meters are crucial to the evolution of truly smart grids and improved customer service for DNOs, but the delay on these noti cation times is currently too long to be of use. In his column (right), Matt Rudling, director of customer services at UK Power Networks, reveals how these noti cations will underpin his customer care strategy. On the DCC network go-live, the DCC will commence an "early life study" that will explore the options for improving performance of the alerts. The DCC is hopeful that the study will provide the understanding needed to improve the usefulness of the alerts for network operators on an enduring basis. Ramping up When the smart meter programme moves into the main rollout phase a range of other risk factors threaten the timely delivery of the scheme. The Utility Week-WNS report reveals that network operators have a far higher level of concern across the board on these risks than suppliers. In particular, customer co-operation and suppliers' ability to contact customers came out as top concerns among networks. Gaining access to properties through successful communication and co- operation is the rst hurdle in a range of challenges standing in the way of a successful installation at the rst attempt. Installation can fail for one of three main reasons: consumer issues; supplier issues; and network operator issues. The nature of customer properties and issues requiring network callouts are two of the main risks that network operators are concerned about. More than half of network operators questioned for the report said they expect callout rates to rise during the smart meter rollout. The network operators' price control assumes that 2% of all smart meter installations will result in a callout. The rate is expected to be as much as 6% during the early stages. Worryingly, less than half said they have enough sta™ to deal with that E A R LY A L E R T Matt Rudling, director of customer services, UK Power Networks Customer service is something I am passionate about at UK Power Networks and in my view smart metering presents an unparalleled opportunity to enhance our services, particularly for vulnerable customers. By 2020 every home will have a smart meter as part of the national rollout and I would like to see vulnerable customers among the fi rst to benefi t from them as we act on new information which will be avail- able in order to deliver the best customer experience possible. I feel excited about the opportunities smart meters will offer. Importantly, we will automatically know if a vulnerable customer goes off supply and can take im- mediate, proactive action to help them. Within minutes of a power cut, SMET-2 smart meters will send a "last gasp" signal to our network control centre, matched by a "fi rst breath" signal when power is restored. While we already have this informa- tion for wider faults on the high-voltage network, this information has not been available on low-voltage networks closer to our customers' homes, until now. One smart meter feature which I'm particularly looking forward to is being able to help more customers in storm situations. We know how frustrating it can be for our customers when we think they are back on supply, but they still don't have power, usually when a localised issue is masked by a wider problem. In future we will know straight away and can act promptly on the information. Precise information about which prop- erties are off supply means we can take focused action quickly, without customers even reporting the issue, reducing inbound calls and delivering far more proactive customer services, with up-to-date infor- mation by text, phone or whichever way they prefer. "A key advantage with smart meters will be the chance for us to keep a closer eye on customers who are reliant on elec- tricity for life-critical medical equipment." This means we can take proactive action to prioritise the restoration of their supplies and alert support services if needed. Quicker, clearer visibility of which customers are off supply will focus resources where they are needed most, reducing the amount of time customers are without electricity. Smart meters will also help us to give out better, accurate advice. In fact, by the time we speak to customers we might be hav- ing a different conversation about how to check their trip switch. That's because we'll be able to remotely pulse the customer's meter to check if they have a sup- ply, getting them on supply quicker, saving a call out and focusing fi eld resources where they are needed. Further benefi ts will spring from pre-empting supply quality issues which normally rely on customers reporting the issue, usually after they've already suffered some sort of problem, such as fl ickering supplies. Access to accurate up-to-the-minute incident histories will lead to better customer communication and outcomes, reducing complaints and boosting customer satisfaction. It will be towards the end of the rollout before we may realise the true benefi ts of smart meters. However, I feel sure that network operators like UK Power Networks will have an important role to play, not only during the rollout itself, but also in providing an improved service to customers. Smart metering will empower us to deliver smarter customer engagement. "A key advantage with smart meters will be the chance for us to keep a closer eye on customers who are reliant on electricity for life- critical medical equipment."