Thames pledges to remove data subscription charges as it ramps up smart meter access commitments

Thames Water has stepped up its pledges on its approach to smart metering and the provision of digital data services in the business market after stakeholders question its initial proposals, published in May 2021.

Thames' commitments relate to Ofwat’s investigation of the company over alleged abuse of a dominant position under Chapter II of the Competition Act 1998, for installing smart meters that cannot be logged and related issues.

Ofwat consulted in May on accepting Thames’ initial commitments, but subsequently took up with Thames matters raised by respondents. On that back of that, Thames has offered modifications including:

• setting out in the commitments themselves key details of its current metering policy and the changes planned to it for 2022, including in relation to when it will replace meters that have logging equipment attached to them and the circumstances in which it will install loggable meters;

• free replacement of meters that had logging equipment removed from them with loggable smart meters as they become available;

• payment of compensation for lost or damaged logging equipment in certain circumstances; and

• removing ongoing subscription charges for digital data services (initial set-up costs remain chargeable).

Ofwat is consulting until 27 February on Thames' modifications and has proposed accepting them. If it does so, it would close the investigation without ruling on a Chapter II breach, and Thames would have to report regularly on its implementation of the agreed measures.