SPAA Expert Group – Open Session Minutes Minutes Meeting Name SPAA Expert Group – Open Session Meeting Number 75 Date Wednesday, 08 January 2014 Time 10:30 Location ElectraLink, 2-3 Golden Square, W1F 9HR, London Attendee Representing Martin Brandt [MB] (Chair) SSE Amie Charalambous [ACH] Npower Bryan Hale [BH] EDF Energy David Addison [DA] Xoserve Diane Knowles [DK] [part – teleconference] G4S Graham Wood [GW] British Gas Ian Seaman [IS] [teleconference] NGM Lorna Mallon [LM] [teleconference] Scottish Power Trevor Clark [TC] E.ON Energy Arno Vanden Eynde [AVE] (Secretariat) ElectraLink 1 ADMINISTRATION 1.1 Apologies were received from Robert Cameron-Higgs (First Utility). 1.2 The minutes of the last meeting were approved without amendment. 1.3 The group reviewed the open actions. Updates on all actions are set out in Appendix A. 2 UPDATE FROM THE SPAA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EC) 2.1 MB provided the group with an update from the EC, noting the following key areas of discussion for the group. Theft Risk Assessment Service (TRAS) 2.2 The SEG noted that a tri-partite meeting between the EC, the Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement (DCUSA) Panel and Ofgem was scheduled for 9 January 2014 to discuss and agree the next steps in delivering and governing a dual fuel TRAS. 15 January 20144 Page 1 of 9 v0.1 SPAA Expert Group – Open Session Minutes Change of Supplier (CoS) meter read process for smart gas meters 2.3 Ofgem had issued an open letter to the EC and the Uniform Network Code (UNC) Panel, asking for a joint working group to discuss and consider potential improvements, which could simplify and streamline the Change of Supplier (CoS) meter read process for smart gas meters. The SEG noted that although the EC was supportive for SPAA and UNC representatives to carry out a joint review, it was awaiting feedback from the UNC Panel before progressing this matter any further. 3 REVIEW OF THE BLANK MAM IDs 3.1 The group reviewed Xoserve’s updated blank Meter Asset Manager (MAM) ID report. Compared to the report it had reviewed in December 2013, the group observed a further decrease of approximately 25K in the total number of meter points with missing MAM IDs. Whilst the overall number had decreased significantly, the SEG re- affirmed the view that the industry as a whole should continue to undertake the necessary efforts to further reduce the total number of blank MAM IDs in the market, and remind Shippers of their obligation to populate MAM IDs associated to their sites. 3.2 At the December 2013 meeting, the SEG requested Xoserve writes out to all Shippers with a blank MAM ID portfolio higher than the average within the category ‘older than four years’. DA informed members that although Xoserve had not yet written out to these Parties, it had identified that some of the Parties within this category accounted for a very low number of blank MAM IDs. The SEG re-affirmed that the overall aim of this exercise was to reduce the total number of blank MAM IDs in the market, and recommended instead that Xoserve writes out to all Shippers with a blank MAM ID portfolio within the category ‘older than two years’. ACTION SEG/20131009/01: DA 4 MAM 13/003 – STANDARDISED GAS METER SERIAL NUMBER FORMAT AND THE GLOBAL UNIQUE IDENTIFIER 4.1 The group noted that a representative of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) had attended the December 2013 SEG meeting to provide clarity in regards to its recent stipulation that all Smart metering equipment must have a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID), using a 16 digit number. Such clarity had been requested within the context of MAM 13/003, a recent industry Change Proposal (CP) which seeks to facilitate the harmonisation of Meter Serial Numbers (MSN) to a 14- digit serial number format. 4.2 DECC has clarified that whereas the GUID will be mandated for Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specification (SMETS) 2 devices, the MSN will neither be mandated nor prohibited, meaning that it will be for the industry to decide how it wishes to treat the MSN. 4.3 The SEG noted that ElectraLink had subsequently issued a consultation to Parties as well as Meter Asset Managers (MAM) asking them to confirm by 20 January 2014 whether: 15 January 20144 Page 2 of 9 v0.1 SPAA Expert Group – Open Session Minutes The MSN should be aligned with and incorporated within the GUID, meaning a change to the RGMA to facilitate 16 digits; or The MSN should be harmonised to a 14 digit format, and maintain the MSN alongside the GUID; and The introduction of a standard MSN format was legitimate from an anti- competitive perspective on a European level, and would not prevent foreign meter manufacturers from entering the market. 4.4 The SEG agreed to review the responses received in detail at its next meeting in February 2014. ElectraLink took an action to add the matter to the February 2014 meeting agenda. ACTION SEG/20140108/01: ELECTRALINK 5 MDD / UK LINK MARKET PARTICIPANT ID RECONCILIATION 5.1 The SEG previously very much welcomed the proposal Xoserve had made to align the UK Link market participant Ids to those registered in the MDD. The group however considered that rather than aligning these Ids at the time of Project Nexus implementation it would be preferable to complete this exercise much earlier, ideally at the time of the Data Communication Company (DCC) going live. 5.2 DA re-affirmed that Parties should be aware of the potential impact the alignment may have on market participant IDs, in particular in the event of a Shipper being removed from the UK Link, e.g. for failing to pay its invoices to Xoserve. The group noted that in the case of a Shipper being terminated and removed from the UK Link, the associated (same) Supplier ID would also be removed by default, unless the respective Supplier explicitly informs Xoserve to not terminate its registration. DA took an action to formalise the proposal and present it for consideration to parties at the February 2014 meeting. ACTION SEG/20131113/03: DA 6 ELECTIVE REGISTER 6.1 At present SPAA Schedules may be designated as Elective for any Party Category (Domestic Supplier, Industrial and Commercial Supplier, and Transporter). The SPAA sets out that the EC maintains and sends to all Parties and the Authority each month a list of Parties (“Elective Register”) who at such time have elected to comply with Elective Schedules. The advantage of having an Elective Register which is kept up to date, and circulated, is that Parties have visibility among themselves on the Elective Schedules Parties have chosen to comply with. 6.2 Although no Party has ever formally registered on the Elective Register since the inception of the SPAA, it is assumed that in practice Parties do voluntarily choose to adhere to an Elective Schedule without formally notifying the Secretariat. The current drafting of the SPAA however does not oblige Parties to inform the Secretariat whether or not they elected to adhere to a particular Schedule. 15 January 20144 Page 3 of 9 v0.1 SPAA Expert Group – Open Session Minutes 6.3 The group noted that the ‘elective’ status of Schedules had been introduced in order to incentivise the inclusion of Industrial and Commercial (I&C) Suppliers into the SPAA by giving them the opportunity to opt out of certain processes deemed to be not relevant to them. 6.4 Rather than asking Parties on whether or not they are complying with certain processes, the group agreed at its December 2013 meeting the main body of the SPAA is amended in a way that it is assumed that a Party is adhering to a process unless it confirms it is not. 6.5 Members re-affirmed their support to this approach, however recommended that before amending the main body of the SPAA, it would useful to review the each of the ‘elective’ Schedules, and confirm whether or not they actually should be categorised as ‘elective’. 6.6 The SEG agreed to review each of the ‘elective’ Schedules at the February 2014 meeting, and asked ElectraLink to provide members with a list of all ‘elective’ Schedules as well as an overview of all sections within the main body that reference the term ‘elective’. ACTION SEG/20130814/08: ELECTRALINK 7 DATE/LOCATION OF NEXT MEETING 7.1 The group noted that the next meeting would be held on 12 February 2014 at SSE’s office in Reading. 15 January 20144 Page 4 of 9 v0.1 SPAA Expert Group – Open Session Minutes APPENDIX A: SUMMARY OF ACTIONS NEW AND OPEN ACTIONS Action Ref. Action Owner Update SEG/20140108/01 Harmonisation of Meter Serial Numbers (MSN) ElectraLink/All - To collate and analyse consultation responses asking industry Parties to confirm whether: The MSN should be aligned with and incorporated within the GUID, meaning a change to the RGMA to facilitate 16 digits; or The MSN should be harmonised to a 14 digit format, and maintain the MSN alongside the GUID. The introduction of a standard MSN format was legitimate from an anti-competitive perspective on a European level, and would not prevent foreign meter manufacturers from entering the market. SEG/20131113/03 To confirm whether or not the MDD David Addison 20131211: ongoing reconciliation exercise should be aligned with 20140801: ongoing Project Nexus, and therefore wait until Project Nexus goes live Updated Action (20140108): 15 January 2014 Page 5 of 9 v0.1 SPAA Expert Group – Open Session Minutes To formalise the proposal and present it for consideration to parties at the February 2014 meeting.