Smart metering

The article argues that plug-in “balcony” solar could bring people in flats and rented homes into the energy transition. However, the customer journey is buried under permissions, wiring checks, product lists and a separate registration step that few buyers will ever find. Drawing eight practical lessons, it makes the case for the Highway Code’s QR code registration and a single advice portal. It matters because if the process stays this opaque, people will either give up or skip the admin, and the network loses sight of what is connected.

The article argues that the smart meter programme does need radical reform, including a move to mandatory and area-based delivery, but that this can be achieved without transferring the rollout wholesale to distribution network operators. It matters because the rollout is now too important to flexibility, voltage management and local network visibility to remain voluntary, and area-based coordination can be delivered through suppliers, Alt-HAN style structures and local authorities working with DNOs rather than in place of them.