Timeline of smart meter cost approval

Summary

The requester asked for a timeline of board and treasury approvals for smart meter costs and confirmation of Tynwald approval for an £18m spend. The authority declined to provide specific minutes, citing that the information is already reasonably accessible via Tynwald Hansard reports and the MUA website.

Key Facts

• The request was made on 2020-07-08 and responded to on 2020-07-30.
• Information regarding the approval timeline was directed to a Tynwald Library Hansard report from October 15, 2019.
• The £18.15m cost figure includes both new smart meter infrastructure and annual meter replacement costs.
• Smart metering costs are approved annually as part of the Treasury Budget process in Tynwald.
• The authority cited Section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 to withhold the specific documents requested.

Data Disclosed

• £18m
• £18.15m
• 2020-07-08
• 2020-07-30
• October 16 2019
• 15 October 2019
• 2016/17
• 2017/18
• 2018/19
• 2019/20
• page 82
• page 101
• page 107
• page 114
• 1358041

Exemptions Cited

• Section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Information accessible to applicant by other means)

Original Request

We refer to to the question about smart meters put to the Chairman of the MUA, Dr. Allinson by Hon. Julie Edge on October 16 2019. Please may we have a copy of the timeline of minutes from the board, the treasury meetings and financial approvals regarding when approvals were received by the MUA board from Treasury, as was agreed to be provided to all members. Please would you confirm whether the overall spend of £18m was ever approved by Tynwald?

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Manx Utilities PO Box 177, Douglas Isle of Man, IM99 1PS

e: enquiries@manxutilities.im t: 01624 687687 www.manxutilities.im

Our ref: 1358041 30 July 2020

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 8 July 2020 and which states:

"We refer to to the question about smart meters put to the Chairman of the MUA, Dr. Allinson by Hon. Julie Edge on October 16 2019. Please may we have a copy of the timeline of minutes from the board, the treasury meetings and financial approvals regarding when approvals were received by the MUA board from Treasury, as was agreed to be provided to all members. Please would you confirm whether the overall spend of £18m was ever approved by Tynwald?"

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act - Information accessible to applicant by other means, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you, whether free of charge or on payment of a fee. Some of the information that you have requested is available on Tynwald Library Hansard official report. A response to Julie Edges question of 15 October 2019, confirming the timeline of approval, was updated as an appendix – Q17: https://www.tynwald.org.im/business/hansard/20002020/t191015-HA-Q17-Q18.pdf In response to the second part of your request, regarding the £18.15m approval. To help explain the makeup of this figure, information on the overall cost of the Smart Metering programme can be found on our website under the FAQ’s: https://www.manxutilities.im/smart-metering/faq/your-questions-answered/. Manx Utilities has a continuous, rolling programme of electricity meter replacement but the step change in supporting infrastructure for smart meters and the associated benefits arising from them meant it was appropriate to indicate the total programme cost, including the annual cost of meter changes which would have been necessary in any case. The component parts are reflected annually as part of Manx Utilities figures in the Treasury Budget process which is approved each year in Tynwald. Copies of IOM Government Annual budgets, can be found here https://www.gov.im/about-the- government/departments/the-treasury/budget/ • 2016/17 page 82 - SMART metering conversion

• 2017/18 page 101 - SMART metering conversion • 2018/19 page 107 - SMART metering conversion • 2019/20 page 114 - Advance metering conversion

Please quote the reference number 1358041 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours faithfully