Protection of vulnerable customers
Consumer groups have highlighted the potential for smart metering data to be used to help in identifying and protecting vulnerable consumers, for example by monitoring self-disconnection.
Perhaps it is for regulators to decide whether anyone has a right (or a duty) to look out for self-disconnection. However, if it were considered appropriate to monitor for self-disconnection, then once again it is easy to see that this could be performed locally, by a “vulnerable consumer” applet, looking for consumption patterns locally. There is no need to export the raw data.
Debt management
Suppliers have argued that having access to daily meter reads would allow them to identify customers in payment difficulty and help ensure that debt levels are not building up.
It is not clear how this would work in practise, or if energy suppliers should have a right (or a duty) to look out for it.
Nevertheless, once again it is evident that any processing of energy consumption data can be performed locally, by a “debt management” applet. There is no need to export the raw data.