Smart meters

Summary

A request was made for detailed cost breakdowns, ongoing service fees, and liability information regarding the Isle of Man's smart meter programme. The authority partially disclosed information but redacted specific financial details and vendor costs citing commercial and economic interest exemptions.

Key Facts

• Manx Utilities is a Statutory Board of the Isle of Man Government managing water, wastewater, and electricity.
• The smart meter replacement programme has a total value of £18.15M.
• Trilliant supplies the radio frequency network, Holley Tech Ltd supplies the meters, and Hildebrand Tech Ltd designed the SmarterLiving App.
• The Communications and Utilities Regulatory Authority issued the licence for the system in January 2019.
• Specific costs for vendors and monthly spending details were withheld to protect commercial interests.

Data Disclosed

• £18.15M
• 2024-04-16
• 2024-06-04
• Jan 2019
• 3804585
• 3438955
• S30(1)
• S30(2)(b)

Exemptions Cited

• S30(1) & (2) - Economy and commercial interest
• S30(1) – Economic and financial interest
• S30(2) (b) - Commercial interests

Original Request

"Trilliant is contracted to supply and manage the radio frequency network and associated software necessary to collect data. Smart meters have been purchased from Holley Tech Ltd and Hildebrand Tech Ltd have designed the SmarterLiving App for MU. The Communications and Utilities Regulatory Authority issued Manx Utilities a licence for this system in Jan 2019. This meter replacement programme totals £18.15M according to FOI 3438955. 1. Please itemise what the amount above is to be spent on and has already been spent on. Please identify costs to Trilliant, Hildebrand, and Holley Meters and any other company, along with month/year. 2. Please identify amounts of any ongoing costs for service provided, if it is more than an upfront purchase. 3. If someone does not want a smart meter for health reasons even with the communication module turned off, is Manx Utilities saying they have no choice but to have it installed? If so, please provide the authority under which this is done. 4. Please state who is liable for any health issues/other harm that may result from smart meters usage. What insurance company do MU use, and can you confirm they cover harm as a result of the meter, including smart meter fires that have been reported as occurring elsewhere as well as EMF harm." Some private insurance companies are not covering smart meters.

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: 3804585 IO June 2024 ~ Dear ### We write further to your request, received 16 April 2024, which states: ""Trilliant is contracted to supply and manage the radio frequency network and associated software necessary to collect data. Smart meters have been purchased from Holley Tech Ltd and Hildebrand Tech Ltd have designed the SmarterLiving App for MU. The Communications and Utilities Regulatory Authority issued Manx Utilities a licence for this system in Jan 2019. This meter replacement programme totals £18.15M according to FOI 3438955.
1. Please itemise what the amount above is to be spent on and has already been spent on. Please identify costs to Trilliant, Hildebrand, and Holley Meters and any other company, along with month/year.
2. Please identify amounts of any ongoing costs for service provided, if it is more than an upfront purchase.
3. If someone does not want a smart meter for health reasons even with the communication module turned off, is Manx Utilities saying they have no choice but to have it installed? If so, please provide the authority under which this is done.
4. Please state who is liable for any health issues/other harm that may result from smart meters usage. What insurance company do MU use, and can you confirm they cover harm as a result of the meter, including smart meter fires that have been reported as occurring elsewhere as well as EMF harm." Some private insurance companies are not covering smart meters." Our response to your request is as follows: Background Manx Utilities is a Statutory Board of IOM Government conducting business within the water, wastewater, and electricity generation and distribution sectors. The information represents a project in which Manx Utilities holds a commercial interest within its undertaking. ۱۰ Question 1: Our aim is to provide information whenever possible however, some of the information contained are exempt from disclosure to you. Redaction has been applied where: 1) the detail is not pertinent to the request; or 2) the following exemptions, allowed under the Act, have been assessed and engaged; S30(1) & (2) - Economy and commercial interest S30(1) – Economic and financial interest The most appropriate financial outcome for Manx Utilities ultimately presents the most appropriate financial outcome for Manx Utilities customers i.e. Island residents and its tax players. Inability to achieve this is likely to be of detriment to Island residents, as additional costs would have to be passed on to the end user or taxpayers. S30(2) (b) - Commercial interests
A disclosure under the Act is deemed as a disclosure to the world rather than a disclosure to an individual requestor, and as such the information uncontrollable once published. We must therefore protect both the current, and future, commercial interests of all parties involved. Including any individual commercial packages either negotiated or under negotiation for consideration, or the budget estimates relating to capital purchases.
In respect of the qualified exemptions applied under section 30(1) & 30(2)(b) they are subject to the public interest test. The public interest must be something that is of serious concern and benefit to the public at large and not merely something of individual interest. Public Interest Test Factors in favour of disclosing the information include: • To promote transparency of decision making in Manx Utilities and the reasoning behind any decisions which are taken. • To scrutinise the actions of Manx Utilities and be held to account for the decision-making. • Securing the best use of public resources. Factors in favour of maintaining the exemptions include: • The underlying purpose of these exemptions is to protect the economy and commercial interests. • Disclosure of this information could be used to achieve individual competitive advantage. • There is no evidence to suggest that disclosure of this information will serve a wider public interest. • If the bidding or tendering process is compromised in this way or is perceived by bidders or tenderers to have been compromised there would be significant damage to Manx Utilities reputation and trust in the commercial process outlined. • Disclosure of the highlighted information will make commercially sensitive information available to potential participants for future projects with Manx Utilities.
In assessing the weight to be attributed to each aspect of these arguments, Manx Utilities has considered that disclosure of the information subject to the prejudice based qualified exemptions has the potential to cause harm to the fair, open, and transparent tenders for work and projects required to conduct its undertaking and discharge its legal obligations. It is important that these tenders are completed in a fair, open and transparent process. This ensures Manx Utilities can discharge its obligations and conduct its undertaking in the most efficient manner on behalf of its customers and taxpayers. If these processes are biased, Manx Utilities undertaking will be affected. Manx Utilities concludes that the risk of harm from disclosure outweighs any benefit that could be gained by the general public as a result of the information being disclosed at this point.
Taking these considerations into account Manx Utilities has determined that the factors in favour of maintaining the exemptions outweigh the factors in favour of disclosing the information.
However, in order to provide advice and assistance the AMI programme budget of £18.15M includes all costs for the procurement of products and services for a period of 10 years up until March 2029. This also includes all costs associated with installation of all necessary infrastructure including labour and materials. In addition it also includes budget for the remediation of any legacy issues identified during the rollout.
To date total cost is £11.056M, it is not possible to provide an itemised breakdown of all costs incurred. Question 2 The smart meter programme budget of (£18.15M), which includes all projected operational and service costs over a period of 10 years, until 2029. Manx Utilities does not hold suppliers future costs for service, but will be subject to Government Financial Regulation procurement process. Question 3 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, and more useful detail is publically available on Manx Utilities website. However to provide advice and assistance a smart meter is a digital device which is able to transmit energy consumption data to the operator and is no different to any meter installed in the last 20+ years. We are not aware of any customer objecting to the installation of a digital meter.
Where the customer refuses to accept the replacement of their unsupported legacy meter with a smart meter, Manx Utilities will look to accommodate the installation of an advanced meter with the communication module removed. On removal of the communications module the customer will be placed on a new domestic tariff, which, in addition to the standard unit charge, includes an increased standing charge of 71.6 pence (+ VAT) per day to offset the cost of the design, implementation and maintenance of a manual workaround process. This additional charge for the basic tariff is correct as of 1 April 2024 and is subject to a periodic review. Details of our tariff and rates can also be found on our website.
Our statutory authority and responsibility with regards to metering is detailed in the Electricity Act 1996. Question 4 As a statutory body, we comply with all public liability insurance requirements. We are confident that, through following guidance from credible organisations and sources, that we are exercising our duty of care to our customers. More information about RF- EMF and 5G and the evidence relating to any public health concerns can be found in the following links. a) IOM Public Health Directorate b) World Health Organisation (WHO) c) UK Health Security Agency d) Smart energy GB’s website Furthermore, a full database of all scientific research data, which allows you to search details of more than 28,000 publications covering individual scientific studies on the effects of electromagnetic fields, is available at https://www.emf-portal.org/en If that guidance ever changes, we will, of course, re-evaluate our position. To be clear all current credible evidence indicates smart meters do not pose a health risk.
Additionally, there is no evidence of a smart meter ever causing a fire. Poor installation, regardless of meter type does however, create the potential for a loose connection, with the potential overheating having the capacity (in very extreme circumstances) to result in a fire. This risk is not just limited to the meter itself but all equipment within the property. Manx Utilities takes these responsibilities extremely seriously and operates a robust quality assurance process for all aspects of the new metering system, including but not limited to training, supervision, internal reviews and on site audits. Our ‘smart metering installation code of practice’ (SMICOP), can be viewed on our website. There is no evidence to support claims that private insurance companies are not offering insurance for properties with a smart meter installed however, should you have evidence of this, then please contact our Customer Services Team on 687687.
As detailed above, any issues involving smart electric or gas meters are due to installation errors rather than faults with the meters themselves. Please quote the reference number 3804585 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. ###