Smart meters

Summary

The request sought clarification on the Isle of Man's smart meter rollout, including its link to government climate strategies, cost implications, and infrastructure details. The Manx Utilities Authority disclosed that the project supports the Island Plan's decarbonisation goals, clarified that no new sites were acquired due to De Minimis exemptions, and outlined future IIoT applications.

Key Facts

• The smart meter rollout supports the Economic and Energy Strategy under the Island Plan to decarbonise services by 2030.
• The goal is an overall reduction of 35% in the Island's greenhouse gas emissions.
• No new sites were acquired for the infrastructure; existing telecommunications sites are being shared.
• Permissions for the 16 sites were considered De Minimis, meaning no planning approval or associated costs were required.
• The infrastructure will support Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices such as smart street lighting and water leakage detection.

Data Disclosed

• 2019
• 2024-04-16
• 2024-05-30
• 2024-06-04
• 2021
• 14
• 16
• 2030
• 35%
• Section 20

Exemptions Cited

• Section 20 of the Act (Information reasonably accessible)

Original Request

"In Tues 9th 2019 Tynwald minutes , Dr Allinson said, chair of MUA at the time, the following: "The roll out of smart meters...forms a vital part of our plans to both enhance energy services and to build further resilience into the network in addition to supporting the Programme for Government and the requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions." 1. What Programme for Government is he referring to? 2. What requirement is he referring to in regards to reducing greenhouse gas emissions? 3. How will installing smart meters infrastructure and rollout reduce greenhouse gas? 4. In what way does a smart meter enhance energy services for the customer? 5. Will it reduce electricity cost to the customer? "Currently, 14 of the 16 necessary sites have received the appropriate permissions to proceed." 6. What are the sites being acquired and for what purpose? What is the cost? "The smart metering infrastructure will support a whole range of other applications in the future." 7. What other applications will the infrastructure support in the future?

Data Tables (2)

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: 3801268 4 June 2024

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 16 April 2024, which states:

""In Tues 9th 2019 Tynwald minutes , Dr Allinson said, chair of MUA at the time, the following:

"The roll out of smart meters...forms a vital part of our plans to both enhance energy services and to build further resilience into the network in addition to supporting the Programme for Government and the requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

1. What Programme for Government is he referring to?
2. What requirement is he referring to in regards to reducing greenhouse gas emissions?
3. How will installing smart meters infrastructure and rollout reduce greenhouse gas?
4. In what way does a smart meter enhance energy services for the customer?
5. Will it reduce electricity cost to the customer?
   "Currently, 14 of the 16 necessary sites have received the appropriate permissions to proceed."
6. What are the sites being acquired and for what purpose? What is the cost?
   "The smart metering infrastructure will support a whole range of other applications in the future."
7. What other applications will the infrastructure support in the future?"

Our response to your request is as follows:

BACKGROUND The smart metering programme was initiated only after extensive research of all of its aspects including, but not limited to, financial viability, sustainability, benefits to the organisation and the island, safety and security.

Questions 1 to 5 While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, under section 20 of the Act, 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. The information you have requested in questions 1 to 5 is publically available on the Isle of Man Government’s Island Plan, on Manx Utilities website and our brochure ‘introducing

smart meters’, which was delivered to every Island household and business in April 2021 however, to provide advice and assistance:

The Government’s programme is the Economic and Energy Strategy under the Island Plan, link provided above which outlines the “Economic Strategy ambition for sustainability to decarbonise the services parts of the economy by 2030, supporting an overall reduction of 35% in the Island’s GHG emissions. This will be achieved by accelerating the Energy Strategy, prioritising the decarbonisation of the electricity system to provide long term energy security and stability together with providing support to the services sector to substantially decarbonise”.

The smart meter rollout represents an essential investment in our network and demonstrates Manx Utilities’ commitment to climate change mitigation.

Smart meters are only one constituent part of smart metering. It is smart metering and the transformed energy system that will bring about benefits in respect of sustainability, change mitigation and will enable customers to understand and reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Question 6 The sites referenced are existing telecommunications infrastructure sites, where Manx Utilities are sharing either tower access, ground level sites or both. No sites were acquired and there were no costs associated for permissions as the Planning and Building Control Directorate considered them to be De Minimis (of insufficient importance or small scale to be exempted from a rule of requirement) and did not constitute development requiring planning approval.

Question 7 The infrastructure can securely support a range of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices, to aid efficiency and reliability. This could include power system monitoring and control devices, smart street lighting and other utility meters, an example of which could be water leakage detection devices using the same infrastructure.

Please quote the reference number 3801268 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. ###