Data Sharing in a Digital Future
Call for input
- Open
- Closed
- Publication date
- Closed date
Today we are publishing our Call for Input – Data Sharing in a Digital Future. We put forward a view that to allow consumers to fully benefit from the net zero transition, consumers will need to effectively give, manage, and revoke consent to share their data with an increasing number of energy sector actors. This will give consumers the ability to share their energy data securely with trusted market participants, who can provide them with energy services to lower their bills, as well as their carbon footprint. By empowering consumers to share their energy data we can create a just, cost-effective net zero transition with consumers at its heart.
Alongside data protection regulations, we have three objectives to meet in assessing how best to empower consumers to share their data easily and securely with trusted market participants.
- Improve access to personal data across the sector.
- Improve consumer trust in data-sharing services.
- Develop a consent process or mechanism.
Marzia Zafar, Deputy Director of Digitalisation and Innovation at Ofgem, said:
“I’m delighted to be able to announce the first steps in the journey Ofgem will take to put the consumer at the heart of the digital, data-driven future we plan. Any energy system that could achieve net zero by 2050 will be decentralised, digital, and run on data. Consumer data flows from smart meters are going to inform where power is needed, and how the system will flex to balance demand and supply.
The system we foresee will need consumers to be able to trust that their data is being used fairly, and that their interests are at the heart of it. This Call for Input, engaged closely by organisations like Citizen’s Advice, will help us to understand what solution will best suit customers wanting to share and benefit from their Smart Meter data.”
Through this Call for Input, we seek feedback from all interested stakeholders on this topic to understand whether facilitation or policy intervention is required to help make this vision a reality.
We request that stakeholders send us their responses by 5pm on 26 January 2024 to digitalisation@ofgem.gov.uk
We plan to produce a consultation document, building on the findings of the Call for Input, in the Spring of 2024 setting out our proposed decisions for improving consumer consent processes in the energy sector.