Control of Great Britain's 39m smart meters has moved to a non-profit startup, ending Smart DCC's 13-year licence under Capita after years of spiralling costs and delays, as the network transfers to a wholly owned subsidiary of the Smart Energy Code Company.
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Control over Great Britain's 39m smart meters has passed to a non-profit startup, ending a 13-year licence held by Smart DCC, a subsidiary of Capita, after years of spiralling costs and delays. The successor, which will run the data network connecting the meters from this week, promised a seamless transition. The handover followed a process in which millions of households faced billing issues.
Industry sources said Capita's subsidiary was effectively blocked from tendering for a new licence after Whitehall officials decided to replace the commercial framework established in 2013 with a not-for-profit public-interest model governed by an independent board. The network will become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Smart Energy Code Company, or SECCo, with what the new operator described as a greater focus on cost, transparency and customer and consumer needs.
Capita's market value has plunged by 97% in the last decade after the outsourcing company revealed severely strained finances and mounting debts before an emergency restructuring. A Capita spokesperson said the company was proud of its 13-year stewardship of DCC, describing the programme as critical national infrastructure connecting more than 39.2m smart meters across 23m homes and small businesses, with network availability of 99.6%, and saying it hands over a secure and resilient network.
An Ofgem spokesperson said Smart DCC had played a critical role in delivering an efficient and secure digital communication structure, and that the new licence holder would be expected to build on that solid foundation.
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