Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help ensure that poor mobile connectivity in rural areas does not disadvantage domestic energy customers in rural areas if they are unable to adopt smart meters.

The Data Communications Company (DCC) is the organisation responsible for the smart metering network in Great Britain, and is obligated to provide smart meter network connectivity to at least 99.25% of premises across GB. The Government is working closely with the DCC to ensure that smart meter connectivity can be extended to the small minority of unserved properties in all regions, including rural areas, as soon as reasonably possible.

One such solution, currently being rolled out, is Virtual WAN (VWAN) which involves using customers’ broadband connection (with consent) to carry smart metering communications.