Consumer reference group

NEA continues to actively work alongside industry, government and the regulator to ensure the smart meter rollout is delivered with the interests of all consumers at its heart, in particular low income households or those in vulnerable situations. The smart meter rollout provides a plethora of potential benefits but only if everyone is engaged effectively and offered the right advice and support to realise the benefits specific to them.

As part of this work NEA participates in the Consumer Reference Group (CRG); a forum set up by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) under the Smart Metering Implementation Programme to provide advice and, where appropriate, solutions to mitigate consumer journey challenges arising from consumer experiences in the smart meter roll-out. Recommendations, principles, and amendments to policy are escalated to the Smart Metering Delivery Group (SMDG) by the chair of CRG.

SMDG is a senior operational level forum through which BEIS can work together with key industry and other delivery partners to monitor and drive the delivery of the overall portfolio of GB smart metering programmes, and agree actions required to mitigate key risks and resolve issues that could impact the delivery of the joint programme plan and planned benefits.

Recent published frameworks and principles can be found here.

NEA welcomes the work of the Consumer Reference Group and will continue to encourage and drive industry towards applying best practice as business as usual.