Ms Karen Trant:

We see smart meters both as an enabler for gathering information across the network but also for the consumer. There have been barriers to engagement from consumers. There is an information gap. Customers do not really know what their consumption is like and they need to be able to see that before they opt to use a smart tariff. One area which will be developed this coming quarter is a data portal and a hub. Customers will have what is called a push-all. Information from smart meters will be pushed to the hub. It will be available to customers so that they can review their consumption. The aim is to have a dashboard and portal in order that customers have an easy, accessible way to see what they are using. We think this will send a signal for people to engage with smart tariffs.

The other area relating to smart meters we are looking at is that ESB Networks is prioritising those with microgen capability. Those who have microgen installed will get smart meters to push that. Once people are aware of their consumption and not afraid to make a choice, they will engage with it. We are also running campaigns. They are digital at the moment, but we will be increasing them to encourage the use of smart meters and smart tariffs. It will take time. We think that once the data hub and data portal are up and running, it will be six to 12 months after that before we see a real uptake in smart tariffs. It is about information; people want information before they make the choice.

There was a point about the GDPR. What we wanted to do there was bring customers with us. We would not be able to mandate that information to transfer. That would be in breach of GDPR rules. A meter point reference number, MPRN, is personal data. Without a customer's agreement, we would not be able to do that. There is no doubt that this has been a sensitive issue. We need to manage that carefully for both customers and the programme. We would prefer that customers would consent and opt to avail of smart tariffs.