This month, the MHHS design work-off plan was completed and signed off by the Design Advisory Group. The MHHS design is now baselined and subject to an enduring change control process. We are in the final stages of completing the detailed impact assessment of the MHHS design with our service providers and are on track to commence design, build and test activities from 1 March 2023.
Consultation on proposed changes to the Electricity Data Access Matrix
We have recently issued a consultation on the proposed changes to the Electricity Data Access Matrix for MHHS. The consultation proposes changes to the data items available in the Electricity Enquiry Service (EES) and the users that can access those items based on the changes required for MHHS. These changes have previously been discussed with the REC MHHS Stakeholder Advisory Group (MSAG) and the MHHS Consequential Change Impact Assessment Group (CCIAG). We are now seeking confirmation on the approach through formal consultation. Following this, we will baseline the proposed solution for development by the EES Provider and inclusion in MHHS code drafting.
The Code Manager has published the consultation on the REC Portal, and responses are due by 7 March 2023.
REC Change Proposals
We are pleased to report that Change Proposal R0044 - MHHS Programme Changes required to Central Switching Service has been approved by the Authority and will be implemented in line with the MHHS M8 milestone to align with the implementation of other MHHS code drafting. Following approval of this Change Proposal, impacted Service Providers and the Code Manager have identified and proposed changes to the detailed design that will enable them to reduce additional demand on their systems and operate the proposed solution more efficiently. The Code Manager has subsequently raised a new Change Proposal (R0097 - Consequential Change for CSS Smart Meter Data Retriever Appointments), to take forward these changes. This will not impact the delivery of R0044.
We have also recently raised a new Change Proposal (R0093 - Uplift to CSS Maximum Demand Volumes during MHHS Migration Period), which will facilitate any uplift required from the CSS Provider to manage additional message volumes during the MHHS Migration Period, and the need to prove this in the MHHS Systems Integration Testing phase. We will be working closely with the Code Manager and DCC to progress this Change Proposal and ensure that the CSS, along with other REC Services, are fully prepared to support MHHS implementation.
Code Artefacts for Metering have been issued for industry consultation
Code drafting activities formally commenced last month and the initial set of Code Artefacts for the ‘Metering’ topic area have been issued for industry consultation by the MHHS Programme. The Consultation period opened on 14 February 2023 and closes at 17:00 on 13 March 2023. The consultation date is extended by one week due to the overlap with the Migration Design consultation and the delay of some of the BSC Code Artefacts. The Code Artefacts and details of how to respond to the consultation can be found on the MHHS Website.
Code Drafting activities for the ‘Registration’ and ‘Interface’ drafting tranches have also commenced, and discussions on the approach have started with the MHHS Code Drafting Working Group (CDWG).
Get in touch
If you have any questions regarding RECCo’s involvement in the MHHS Programme, it would be great to hear from you. You can contact the MHHS Programme team at mhhs@retailenergycode.co.uk.
Our Open Data and Consumer Consent project forms part of our Data & Digitalisation strategy. The project started in 2022, when we began to review and catalogue our data sources to enable secure open data and data application. The project will enable us to safely broaden access to data under the REC. Consumer consent is needed to enable future market innovations, deliver net zero and reduce the cost of energy for the consumer.
Following a full RFP process in the final quarter of last year, RECCo has partnered with Expleo to commence the initial phase of the project. This project is being delivered using agile, which enables the project team to learn and adapt as they progress. The discovery phase has three core objectives which are detailed below.
1. Identifying data sets within RECCo’s control
The first sprint involved the project team conducting desktop research and interviewing key stakeholders to discover which data sources fell within the control of the REC or were indirectly related to the REC and of benefit to the consumer. These data sources were then prioritised based on the data they contain and the level of importance to the consumer and RECCo.
Data Source
Description
Priority Ranking
EES
GES
EMAR
CSS and Switching Data
Energy Theft Data
Smart Meter Data Inventory
Green Deal Data
RPA
SDEP
Market Stabilisation Charges
2. Analysing data sets within RECCo’s control
The project team focused purely on meta data – meta data describes the data itself, whereas data in situ are the data items in their respective stores. No actual data will be accessed or analysed during this project.
The team analysed each of the sources in priority order. This involved creating a meta data catalogue which contains items such as the data item name, description, source, meta data owner, and classification. The classification will become important as we move through into the next stages of the project where we will be looking at updates to the REC to improve the process for gaining access to open data and as we start to understand what data is important to the consumer.
The project team have been working with a number of industry stakeholders and SME’s in order to create and populate the data catalogue and we would like to thank all those who have been involved.
3. Developing minimum viable product requirements for a consumer consent mechanism
Working with Ofgem, the final objective of the discovery phase requires the project team to understand and document consumer personas and their different needs and concerns. This will help with developing the requirements for a consumer consent mechanism and the initial review of products. Through engagement with the REC consumer advocate team and different consumer groups the team are looking to create a view of how a consumer consent mechanism can best be developed to deliver the best benefit to the consumer.
Following on from consumer needs, we will complete a market scan of consumer consent products and test against consumer needs and user journeys. We will document our findings and recommendations.
Find out more
Look out for further updates on this project in the next month and details of a webinar to present the results of our discovery work. Ahead of the webinar we will be publishing a paper which will detail our findings, thoughts, and recommendations for next steps.
For further information about the ODCC project please contact tracy.hardy@retailenergycode.co.uk