Making Settlement data more accessible to support drive to Clean Power 2030
Elexon is consulting on how to make the detailed consumption data that it will collect through half-hourly settlement available to support innovation in tariffs, so that consumers can provide more flexibility.
Background to the consultation
Elexon will process around 500bn half-hourly readings per year
Once the implementation of half hourly settlement is complete in July 2027, we will be receiving and processing around 500bn meter readings per year. This data can be used by Suppliers and other companies to develop new products and services to scale up consumer flexibility provision, as part of the Government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
Elexon has built the ingestion process for receiving this data, once Suppliers begin to transition their meters to half-hourly settlement from October 2025. However, we are yet to build the process for sharing this data, and agree the associated governance mechanism for the data disclosure. Elexon will continue to work with Ofgem and DESNZ on our approach and we will ensure clear communication is shared.
We also note on-going work by DESNZ on the technical and commercial feasibility of a smart meter energy data repository and Elexon shall continue to engage to ensure efficiency in data sharing is leveraged under the right controls. See the Smart Meter Energy Data Repository Programme: successful projects on the GOV.UK website
What is covered in the Smart Meter Data Repository consultation?
Ofgem proposed that Elexon consults on the development and implementation of the smart meter data repository in its Directions to Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement Participants document, published earlier in March.
Our consultation proposes how we will collect the data, the main stakeholders that we expect to see using it, and additional use cases. It also explains how the data would be accessed.
Protecting consumers’ data
We are committed to protecting consumers’ privacy and their personal data, as well as commercially sensitive data and intellectual property rights.
Ofgem is due to decide whether the Retail Energy Code Company, the Smart Data Communications Company or Electralink should be the delivery body for the new digital consent solution to allow consumers to share their energy data with trusted third parties. We are ready to work with whichever body Ofgem chooses so that we can integrate our smart meter data repository with a standardised and trusted consent solution.
A step change in our data provision
The release of half-hourly data is a step change in our provision of open data, which we have committed to since we implemented Balancing and Settlement Code Modification P398 ‘Increasing access to BSC Data ‘in June 2021.
A BSC Modification, with proposals to further develop the data disclosure processes and ensure that we are compliant with data protection law, will be raised in the coming months.
It is anticipated that the costs of managing the smart meter data repository will be covered under our operating costs, where there is an industry and/or consumer benefit.
We may pass on costs for users if they request additional data sets (beyond those that we will be disclosing).
Responding to the consultation
Please email your response to [email protected], by close of business on 11 April.