Smart electricity meters consultation

Views sought on the best approach for the roll-out plan for smart meters in Northern Ireland.

The Department for the Economy (DfE) has launched a consultation on a design plan for the roll-out of smart electricity meters.

Smart meters were proposed as a tool in the Energy Strategy to provide customers with modern meters that give real time information and to help enable the development of an accessible and digitalised energy system where data provides value for consumers and a more efficient system operation.

DfE has commissioned a detailed review of implementation programmes in other countries to understand the key risks and barriers to implementation and gather knowledge on best practice. The findings and recommendations from the review have formed a Design Plan for the future smart meter deployment that is tailored to the needs of consumers here and the electricity market. This will help ensure consumers get value for money and facilitate more flexibility in the electricity system.

The consultation paper proposes a Design Plan for the roll-out of smart electricity meters. This covers:

• roles and responsibilities
• which organisations will have responsibility for procurement, deployment, data management systems, consumer protection and education
• how consumers will pay for smart metering systems

Your views on the Design Plan will help inform the future roll-out of smart meters.

Find out more about the consultation and how to respond.

First published 31 October 2024