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NETWORK / 27 / DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017 SMART METERING smart insights, renewable in- sights, meter asset tracking and switching insights. For instance, the data is able to reveal that a signi cant proportion of installations fail simply because the operatives are unable to gain access to the property, highlighting the need for a rigorous customer engage- ment and service programme by third parties. Other reasons for failure include issues with DNO equip- ment, which must be recti ed by the network operatives them- selves. Gauging both the level of callout rate that can be expected and the likely location density of issues will help DNOs plan their approach and use their workforces e• ectively. Data provided by Electralink reveals that so far installa- tion has been focused on the midlands and north of England, with penetration levels reach- ing as high as 17.4% (271,044 installations). However, northern Scotland has barely been touched, with an installa- tion level of just 5.8%, lagging behind all other distribution network zones (known as GSP areas) by at least 120,000 instal- lations. This would suggest that for marketers of smart home products and services, unless the installation rate is suddenly and signi cantly ramped up in northern Scotland, campaigns for this new sector ,which is reliant on smart meters, may do better to target their advertising elsewhere initially. DNO issues do not make up a signi cant proportion of the total reasons for failure – consisting of just 3.4%, but when they do occur they can be costly in terms of delay and result in callouts. The data from the DTS shows that DNO issues are not evenly spread across the country, instead they appear to cluster in certain areas. By far the biggest reason for failure is exposed live conduc- tors – totalling 30,958. But this a considerably bigger problem in some areas than others. One GSP area has a rate of be- tween 1.479%-1.579% between urban and rural areas, while in another the level drops to just GSP group Smart meters Percentage installed _A 408,024 11.7% _B 377,864 14.7% _C 229,923 11.3% _D 200,648 13.8% _E 369,405 15.4% _F 271,044 17.4% _G 389,283 16.7% _H 297,180 10.2% _J 282,423 12.9% _K 134,399 12.5% _L 167,399 11.2% _M 349,712 15.7% _N 211,294 10.7% _P 41,359 5.8% Grand Total 3729961 13.1% S m a r t m e t e r s i n s t a l l e d a c r o s s t h e U K t o d a t e continued on p28 continued from page 24 U S E R O L L O U T T O P R O M O T E C A R B O N M O N O X I D E S A F E T Y Barry Sheerman MP, chair of the All-party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group. The smart meter rollout is a fantastic opportunity to bring cutting edge technology into the heart of people's homes, and the nature of the rollout creates the perfect opportu- nity for householders to be given appropriate informa- tion on carbon monoxide (CO) risk in the home. The Smart Meter Code of Practice states that installers must inform householders about the dangers of CO and the need for frequent appli- ance servicing by qualifi ed engineers. This guidance must, however, translate into action. Furthermore, install- ers must not only inform householders regarding the risks, but they also must be given the required tools to enable them to identify CO wherever it is present. Only if these measures adopted will installers be empowered to take the steps necessary to protect both themselves and householders from the silent killer. It is crucial that smart meter installers seize the opportunity to inform householders about CO risks, as there is a severe lack of awareness across the coun- try on this issue. Chris Bielby, chair of the Gas Industry Safety Group, pointed out at a panel discussion convened by the APPCOG in July this year that only 50% of boilers in the UK are serviced by gas-safe operatives. This means the remaining appliances are ei- ther serviced by illegal fi tters or are not being serviced at all . Additionally, while smoke alarms have become a stand- ard safety feature in many homes, many households still do not own CO alarms: research by Dr Andy Shaw at Liverpool John Moores University has demonstrated that in some parts of Mersey- side, only 9% of homes have CO alarms, compared with 78% of homes having smoke alarms. Smart meter engi- neers are the ideal messen- gers to inform householders on the importance of having appliances regularly serviced and owning a CO alarm. Installers must also be equipped with personal CO alarms, because with up to 1.1 million illegal gas fi ttings being carried out in the UK every year, according to research by the Gas Safe Register, approximately 1 in every 26 homes installers enter could harbour contami- nated environment that might prove deadly. With personal CO monitors, installers will be able to identify at-risk homes, take appropriate action, and also protect themselves in the line of duty. This echoes recommenda- tions that the upcoming report Healthcare Perspec- tives: Carbon Monoxide - produced by my colleagues in the Carbon Monoxide All Fuels Action Forum Medical & Healthcare sub-group - will make: that all emergency service personnel should be equipped with personal CO alarms, so that they can determine the presence of CO in all environments they enter. It is vital that the provision of CO detection equipment is made standard practice for professionals who visit homes during the course of their work, so that risks can be identifi ed and swiftly acted upon. Smart meter installers should be no exception to this. NETWORK / 3 / FEBRUARY 2017 T H E G R I D FEBRUARY French Connection A 1GW interconnector between the UK and France has been approved by the French energy regulator after it concluded that the economic fundamentals of the project remain the same despite the Brexit vote. BEIS has committed £28 million to energy innovation projects as part of its plan to reduce industrial energy costs and decarbonise the UK economy. £9m will fund a competition to reduce the cost of energy storage technologies. £600,000 will be allocated to feasibility studies for large-scale energy storage projects. NATIONAL GRID CHIEF EXECUTIVE JOHN PETTIGREW MORE ON PAGE 34 EDITORIAL Editor Lucinda Dann, t: 01342 332083, e: lucindadann@fav-house.com Utilities content director Ellen Bennett, t: 01342 332084, e: ellenbennett@fav-house.com Production controller Sharon Miller, t: 01342 332054 Business development manager Helen Smith, t: 01342 332109 e: helensmith@fav-house.com Business development director Ed Roberts, t: 01342 332067, e: edroberts@fav-house.com Membership manager Peter Bissell, t: 01342 332057, e: peterbissell@fav-house.com Brand marketing manager, utilities Ben Parker, t: 01342 332103, e: benparker@fav-house.com Publisher and chief executive Amanda Barnes, e: amandabarnes@fav-house.com General enquiries 01342 332000 Printed by Buxton Press Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AE Published by Faversham House Ltd, Windsor Court, Wood Street, East Grinstead, RH19 1UZ NETWORKS.ONLINE £2,000 Up for grabs through one- off grants from the GDNs to fund charities trying to prevent CO deaths. Network is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK's magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors' Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint, please contact the editor. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors' Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk' "Ofgem are a regulator of both gas and electricity, but the regulatory periods for the gas and electricity networks are out of step with each other. They don't sit side by side, so actually you can't plan your investment in your gas and electricity networks in a joined up way." Professor Phil Taylor, head of the national Centre for Energy Systems Integration (CESI) at Newcastle University 2 years Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has achieved the British Standard Inclusive Service Provision "We are confi dent that, working together, we can support National Grid Smart's ambitions in this phase of the smart meter rollout." WWU on being awarded a contract by National Grid Smart to install dual fuel smart meters "The government and Ofgem have recognised our vast experience and expertise. We share the same priorities towards keeping customer bills down, increasing certainty, enabling greener energy, and security of supply. We will be working closely with key stakeholders to achieve these objectives while further evolving the independence of the system operator role within National Grid."