29.04.2019, 12:02
AIMDA Website Launch
The new Association of Independent Meter and Data Agents (AIMDA) website includes information on its lobbying of the United Kingdom Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM).
AIMDA, which is made up of seven of the UK’s largest, competing independent non-domestic customer metering and data collection businesses, is actively lobbying OFGEM and BEIS to influence government policy making, and so preserve effective competition for the benefit of the customer in the markets for energy metering and data for business users.
AIMDA is calling for open access to the Data Communications Company (DCC) to ensure that independent UK businesses can continue to offer settlement services and preserve the ability to keep competition and choice for energy customers; not a single provider but multiple service providers to choose from.
The purpose of the new website is to keep the industry abreast of the lobbying AIMDA is undertaking on behalf of the independent, non-domestic energy metering and data businesses in the UK. It lists all of the AIMDA members with contact details and includes all letters issued between AIMDA, BEIS and OFGEM.
Since its establishment in June 2018, the Association has been extremely pleased with some of the changes made by BEIS and OFGEM, specifically around advanced metering installations. The Association is delighted to confirm that there have been changes to the regulations around advanced metering installations delivering a number of benefits to businesses in the UK with the key benefits being:
- Advanced metering continues to be allowable for all non-microbusiness or group customers. This means that end user customers with larger sites and a selection of smaller sites can continue to install advanced meters to bring data from all sites into a single platform.
- That these group customer sites can move more quickly to obtain online visibility of their energy data and not delay or hinder their sustainability targets and energy efficiency activities; rather than waiting for SMETS2 to mature.
- The installation of advanced metering contributes to the energy suppliers 2020 smart meter roll out requirements set by government.
Steve Brown managing director of IMServ, speaking on behalf of AIMDA, said:
“Given the slow start to SMETS2 installations in 2019, AIMDA believes that advanced metering should have been allowed for the whole non-domestic market including micro businesses.
“Challenges continue to frustrate the smart roll-out, whether that is SMETS1 meters not being interoperable or the technical metering challenges currently being faced with SMETS2 meters. Fortunately, for energy suppliers, advanced metering installations count towards their targets. Continuing the installation of advanced metering in 2019 has allowed energy suppliers to make progress towards their licence obligation of a full smart roll-out by the end 2020 and therefore avoiding the penalties of non-compliance”.
AIMDA continues to attend BEIS and OFGEM meetings and provide responses into the consultation processes.
About AIMDA
The Association of Independent Meter and Data Agents launched in June 2018 with seven founding members:
- Energy Assets Limited
- IMServ Europe Limited
- Siemens Managed Services
- SMS Plc
- Stark Software International Limited
- TMA Data Management Ltd
- WPD Smart Metering Limited
Visit the organisation’s new website at www.aimda.co.uk for additional information.
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