42.

Every smart metering system for electricity should offer at least all the functionalities listed below. For the customer: (a) Provide readings directly to the customer and any third party designated by the consumer. This functionality is essential in a smart metering system, as direct consumer feedback is essential to ensure energy savings on the demand side. There is a significant consensus on provision of standardised interfaces which would enable energy management solutions in ‘real time’, such as home automation, and different demand response schemes and facilitate secure delivery of data directly to the customer. Accurate, user-friendly and timely readings provided directly from the interface of customer’s choice to the customer and any third party designated by the consumer are strongly recommended since they are the key to running demand response services, taking ‘online’ energy-saving decisions and effective integration of distributed energy resources. In order to stimulate energy saving, Member States are strongly recommended to ensure that final customers using smart metering systems are equipped with a standardised interface which provides visualised individual consumption data to the consumer. (b) Update the readings referred to in point (a) frequently enough to allow the information to be used to achieve energy savings. This functionality relates purely to the demand side, namely the end customer. If consumers are to rely on the information provided by the system, they need to see the information responding to their action. The rate has to be adapted to the response time of the energy-consuming or energy-producing products. The general consensus is that an update rate of every 15 minutes is needed at least. Further developments and new energy services are likely to lead to faster communications. It is also recommended that the smart metering system should be able to store customer consumption data for a reasonable time in order to allow the customer and any third party designated by the consumer to consult and retrieve data on past consumption. This should make it possible to calculate costs related to consumption. For the metering operator: (c) Allow remote reading of meters by the operator. This functionality relates to the supply side (metering operators). There is a broad consensus that this is a key functionality. (d) Provide two-way communication between the smart metering system and external networks for maintenance and control of the metering system. This functionality relates to metering. There is a broad consensus that this is a key functionality. (e) Allow readings to be taken frequently enough for the information to be used for network planning. This functionality relates to both the demand side and the supply side. For commercial aspects of energy supply: (f) Support advanced tariff systems. This functionality relates to both the demand side and the supply side. Smart metering systems should include advance tariff structures, time-of-use registers and remote tariff control. This should help consumers and network operators to achieve energy efficiencies and save costs by reducing the peaks in energy demand. This functionality, together with functionalities referred to in points (a) and (b), is a key driving force for empowering the consumer and for improving the energy efficiency of the supply system. It is strongly recommended that the smart metering system allows automatic transfer of information about advanced tariffs options to the final customers, e.g. via standardised interface mentioned under (a). (g) Allow remote on/off control of the supply and/or flow or power limitation. This functionality relates to both the demand side and the supply side. It provides additional protection for the consumer by allowing grading in the limitations. It speeds up processes such as when moving home — the old supply can be disconnected and the new supply connected quickly and simply. It is needed for handling technical grid emergencies. It may, however, introduce additional security risks which need to be minimised. For security and data protection: (h) Provide secure data communications. This functionality relates to both the demand side and the supply side. High levels of security are essential for all communications between the meter and the operator. This applies both to direct communications with the meter and to any messages passed via the meter to or from any appliances or controls on the consumer’s premises. For local communications within the consumer’s premises, both privacy and data protection are required. (i) Fraud prevention and detection. This functionality relates to the supply side: security and safety in the case of access. The strong consensus shows the importance attached to this functionality. This is necessary to protect the consumer, for example from hacking access, and not just for fraud prevention. For distributed generation: (j) Provide import/export and reactive metering. This functionality relates to both the demand side and the supply side. Most countries are providing the functionalities necessary to allow renewable and local micro-generation, thus future-proofing meter installation. It is recommended that this function should be installed by default and activated/disabled in accordance with the wishes and needs of the consumer.