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Response to consultation on requiring key energy data in a machine readable format

Consultation response cover

A consultation on proposals to amend domestic energy supply licence conditions - requiring provision of key energy data in a machine readable format.

Consultation resposnse extract

Whilst we think the intention behind the proposal is positive, the context in which it is intended to be delivered poses some practical issues that the consultation does not appear to have fully considered.

Many third sector events and advice sessions work on the basis of hosting a general session, with follow up sessions at which people switch tariff or supplier (or otherwise) or enrol in collective switching schemes. To fully make use of the machine readable data all advisors present at events would need to have smartphones or tablets. Many staff or volunteers would be unhappy in using their own personal property in this way and would also be concerned about data protection issues both for themselves (their phone being “tracked”) and also in relation to those they are advising – personal data passing through a personal device. The data protocols will need to be very robust. This will mean however that the opportunity to store information and activate a switch after the consumer has had a chance to reflect (which many want) will be lost. The use of personal devices may also make monitoring more difficult - volunteers and staff would need to either use their device to conduct monitoring or use a separate monitoring system and transfer data.