Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 12TH - 18TH JANUARY 2018 | 25 essential pressure to 22,000 properties in Spalding and the surrounding areas. Chatterton water tower is one of hundreds across Anglian's region. Around 10,000 litres of paint were used to repaint the 4,000m 2 surface of the tower in terracotta and white. If you have an asset or project you would like to see featured in this slot, email: paulnewton@fav-house.com. Pipe up Chris Wood S mart meters are an integral part of the UK's plans to create a greener, safer and more reliable energy network, but the rollout programme is placing severe demands on energy firms and their supply chain. The government originally required suppliers to install smart meters in all homes and small businesses by the end of 2020, and gave hey fines to those who failed to meet interim installation targets. Even though it has back-pedalled since, we still expect to see a spike in demand for trained installers through 2018 and beyond. Smart meter installers are responsible for the installa- tion, exchange, commissioning, maintenance and even- tual decommissioning of smart meter systems. With tens of millions of homes yet to have smart meters installed, many more installers are required nationwide. In most cases, even experienced engineers require upskilling to carry out smart meter installations. To meet that demand, there will need to be significant investment in training more people to install smart meters. The current skills shortage is related to wider issues in the utility sector, including an ageing workforce and a reluctance on the part of young people to seek careers in those industries. The situation with smart metering was exac- erbated by the introduction of updated Smart Metering Equip- ment Technical Specifications (SMETS2), which has led to a need for further training and the replacement of some meters that have already been installed. A white paper we published last year concluded that fast, effective and accredited training programmes and initia- tives are vital if suppliers are to boost installer numbers to meet their obligations and avoid penalties. The shortage of suitably trained engineers is by far the biggest challenge facing an industry already under pressure to meet the smart meter target. Research has shown that almost one in five customers who arranged for a smart meter to be installed in their home experi- enced long delays because there were too few engineers available to carry out the work. The scale of the problem is dramatically demon- strated by the fact that in order to meet the original deadline, the rate of installations would have to increase at least five-fold to more than one million per month. Traditionally, engineers have been trained in either gas or electricity installation. The focus has now changed to dual-fuel installation capabilities. Future engineers will also need customer service skills to help customers understand their smart metering systems. Chris Wood, chief executive, Develop Training "Fast, effective and accredited training is vital if suppliers are to boost installer numbers to meet smart meter obligations." Operations & Assets "To meet the original deadline, the rate of installations would have to increase at least five-fold"

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