Ofgem fines SSE ?700k for missing gas smart meter target

(Sharecast News) - Ofgem has fined SSE's domestic retail business £700,000 for missing its target to install gas smart meters for customers last year.Under the government's smart-meter roll-out programme, suppliers are legally required to take all reasonable steps to roll out smart meters to all homes and businesses by the end of 2020.While SSE Energy Services met its smart electric meters installation target for 2018, the gas target wasn't met until February 2019.SSE has agreed to pay £700,000 to Ofgem's consumer redress fund, which supports consumers in vulnerable situations and the development of innovative products or services not currently available to energy consumers.As a result, the energy regulator has decided not to take formal enforcement action.Chris Adams, director of metering and smart transformation at SSE Energy Services, said: "SSE Energy Services is fully committed to the rollout of smart meters and to delivering the benefits of smart for customers. We worked hard during 2018 to successfully transition to the new generation of smart meter, which brings full functionality to customers, and installed around 600,000 meters during the year. However, while there were many achievements in 2018, we are disappointed that we fell slightly short on meeting our gas target."We quickly recovered the shortfall during February 2019 and are on target for the year ahead. We have worked with Ofgem to resolve this matter as quickly as possible and have agreed to make a payment to Ofgem's Voluntary Redress Fund."