Even energy boss admits smart meters aren’t that smart! EDF chief says £11bn plan to introduce them nationally will face ‘may challenges’ : DAILY MAIL

• Vincent de Rivaz has said that the £11billion scheme faces ‘many challenges’
• The smart meters project  is expected to be rolled out to 26 million homes
• But problems with the communication infrastructure mean modern models may not be isssued

The boss of one of Britain’s biggest electricity firms has questioned the ‘security and safety’ of the national £11billion roll-out of smart meters across the UK.

Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of EDF Energy, said the programme faces ‘many challenges’ and was critical of the quality of the meters being offered to customers.

He added that the issues may pose a threat to ‘public confidence’ in the programme.

The smart meter project is intended to fit 26 million homes across the country with smart meters by 2020.

+3

Problems with the communication infrastructure meant that many customers will not get the best ‘next generation’ meters (file image)

But problems with the communication infrastructure meant that many customers will not get the best ‘next generation’ meters.

Instead they will get inferior meters that cost more and make it harder to switch suppliers, the boss of EDF said.

Around 2million inferior ‘first generation’ smart meters – codenamed SMETS 1 – have already been installed.

Some users have complained that when they try to switch to different suppliers, the smart meters no longer work.

+3

Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of EDF Energy, said the programme faces ‘many challenges’

In effect, after switching supplier the meter reverts to being a conventional meter.

Eventually, improvements to the infrastructure for the project will allow more sophisticated ‘next generation’ meters, known as SMETS 2 to be used.

But as yet, the network, run by the Data Communications Company, a subsidiary of Capita, has not yet been upgraded.

GCHQ, the government’s codebreaking body, have been drafted in to improve security to the network, which it warned was vulnerable to being hacked.

The Royal Academy of Engineering warned in a report that ‘disruption on a massive scale is possible’ if hackers managed to switch off householders’ electricity remotely.

In a speech yesterday, Mr de Rivaz said: ‘Delays to the communications infrastructure – the DCC – now means millions more customers will get less digitally sophisticated meters than intended.

READ MORE : DAILY MAIL