Energy policy and regulation news – April 2025

As Great Britain aims for net zero, the way we meter and measure energy use is undergoing sweeping changes. The SSE Energy Solutions regulation team is working hard to represent the best interest of our partners and customers to Ofgem, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and other regulatory bodies and industry parties. We round up recent energy industry developments.

Electricity

Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS) update

The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, and the Ofgem Chief Executive, Jonathan Brearley, have written to energy industry chief executives to urge them to deploy the necessary resources to deliver Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS) on time – you can read the letter on Ofgem’s website.

This follows Ofgem’s decision to approve the six and a half month delay to the implementation of the programme, which has been running for several years. Implementing half-hourly settlement throughout the electricity market will be a hugely significant change to the retail energy market. Settlement balances the differences between how much electricity suppliers buy and the amount customers actually use.

Elexon Consultation on Settlement Data Availability

Elexon operate GB electricity market rules, data and reforms. They’ve carried out a consultation (closed 11 April) on making settlement data more accessible to support the drive to clean power by 2030. Their overview states that as a result of Market-wide Half-Hourly Settlement (MHHS), they’ll be processing around 500 billion half-hourly meter readings every year. This data will be key to developing new products and services to scale up consumers’ capability to provide energy flexibility and aid the government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. Elexon note their commitment to protecting consumers’ privacy and sensitive personal data.

We’re awaiting the next steps from Elexon and you can find more details on their website.

Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) ad campaign

As previously reported, the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) switch-off is coming up in June 2025, and Ofgem made a Call for Action on RTS in October. To encourage customers with RTS meters to upgrade, the regulator is running an advertising campaign starring Lorraine Kelly, who explains what the RTS service is and how customers can identify if they have an RTS meter. Ofgem’s website has more information.

We continue to actively seek to contact our RTS customers to arrange a meter exchange, and if you want to learn more about RTS you can read our blog post. Ofgem has guidance here and EnergyUK, a Trade Association for some energy suppliers, has guidance here.

Dual Fuel

Ofgem Smart Guaranteed Standards Consultation

Ofgem has published a new consultation setting out proposals to introduce new Guaranteed Standards for smart metering, meaning that consumers would receive compensation when:

• appointments are not fulfilled within six weeks when requested
• installs fail due to the fault of the supplier
• a smart meter doesn’t send meter readings when it should

The consultation also seeks views on whether the scope should include non-domestic consumers, or just domestic consumers. You can find further details on Ofgem’s website, with the consultation closing on 9 May 2025.