Ofgem orders nine energy suppliers to become DCC users

tk47

Ofgem is consulting on issuing nine energy suppliers with final orders due to them being in breach of the requirement to be Data Communications Company (DCC) users.

The suppliers are:

Ampoweruk Ltd
Better Energy Supply Limited
Daligas Limited
Enstroga Ltd
Entice Energy Supply Limited
Euston Energy Ltd (trading as Northumbria)
Green Energy Supply Limited
Symbio Energy Limited
UK National Gas Ltd.

If issued, the final orders would require each supplier to be a DCC user by 31 March 2020 and would ban each supplier from taking on new customers from the date of the final orders. Each final order would remain in place until the supplier becomes a DCC user.

If the suppliers fail to become DCC users in accordance with the final orders, Ofgem will consider further enforcement action, which could result in licence revocations.


More info here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/ofgem-orders-nine-energy-suppliers-become-dcc-users

griffb

Until these nine suppliers are DCC users, customers with a DCC-connected smart meter who switch to any of the nine suppliers will lose the functionality of their smart meter on switching. This leaves the meters operating as traditional meters with customers needing to provide manual meter readings and unable to access the full benefits of smart meters. This causes consumer detriment and could undermine consumer confidence in the smart meter programme and the switching process.

What "consumer confidence" would that be then? I don't have a smart meter, and have no desire or need for one

UnclaimedEnergy

I predict the following companies won't become users:

Better Energy (already sold to PFP)
Entice Energy (very small customer base, no growth)
Northumbria energy (very small customer base, no growth)
Daligas limited (Website looks like it was designed 10 years ago)

Talldave

If we're talking websites, Symbio's website looks like it was designed 15 years ago. In addition, their bills have glaring spelling mistakes, they can't do multiplication and give away free energy.


However, they do have lots of money in their bank account this month!


I do hope they hang on in there as it's the most entertaining company I've ever dealt with and I'm paying 10.6p/kWh!

Tafrock

Green. Have reassured me it's an oversight. I already have a dumb 'ex first utility' smart meter anyway so it's not an issue really.

In process of switching from symbio to green. As I've totally lost confidence in symbios ability to accurately bill me

I contacted Green. In relation to this matter today. My response was ""Hi, this is a bureaucratic issue, we supply our application to them and it wasnt processed within time so we need to re-apply for this""

I'm. Happy with that response

tk47

Tafrock wrote: »

Green. Have reassured me it's an oversight. ...

An oversight?

According to the article:

All suppliers were required to become DCC users from 25 November 2017

It's now 2020. :cool:

victor2

Avro Energy were banned on taking new customers for a few months last year until they became a DCC user.
They are now presumably, but are not installing smart meters. They will take on existing smart meter equipped customers from other suppliers, and continue to get readings, so long as the meters are SMETS2. If you've got SMETS1 meters, they become dumb.
Wonder what it cost Avro to join DCC, and will that cost potentially put some of these small suppliers out of business?

Just out of curiosity, does anybody know anyone who has successfully switched suppliers whilst retaining their SMETS2 smart meter functionality?

UnclaimedEnergy

tk47 wrote: »

An oversight?

According to the article: All suppliers were required to become DCC users from 25 November 2017

It's now 2020. :cool:

Green.Energy only started supplying in June 2019 though.

Unless they have a time machine, meeting the 2017 deadline would be impossible

tk47

UnclaimedEnergy wrote: »

Green.Energy only started supplying in June 2019 though.

Unless they have a time machine, meeting the 2017 deadline would be impossible

I didn't realise they were so new.

In such circumstances, it was wrong of me to curtail the Ofgem quote. This longer version covers the new entrants.

All suppliers were required to become DCC users from 25 November 2017, or on exiting the Controlled Market Entry process,

Green (then known as Virginia) were granted their supply licences on 01 March 2018

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/virginia-energy-limited-notice-grant-electricity-supply-licence

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/virginia-energy-limited-notice-grant-gas-supply-licence

UnclaimedEnergy

I don't really count those as proper licences though, just suppliers in a box ready to go.

Without selling off the supply license, they would never actually enter the market, therefore the dates to look for would be the dates the current directors took over and/or the name change on companies house.

It's likely that the 9 companies in question either:

1. didn't know they had to (not sure how this could be the case)
2. Has been putting it off as long as possible to save on admin/cost
3. Don't see themselves sticking around long enough to make it worthwhile

Things like 'Oversight' and 'bureaucratic issue' just sound like excuses.

Streaky_Bacon

What is actually involved in becoming a DCC user, how quickly can it be done, and what is the extra upfront/ongoing cost?