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Smart Energy Code (SEC)

Industry code·Instrument·Updated ** 6 April 2026·4 min read

Smart Energy Code (SEC)

Page type: primary-anchored (mirrors SEC, SECAS)

Last updated: 6 April 2026

The SEC is the industry code governing smart metering in Great Britain. It is a multi-party agreement binding energy suppliers, network operators, the Data Communications Company (DCC), and other parties. It covers the installation, commissioning, operation, security, and charging of smart metering systems and the DCC's communications infrastructure.

Source file: ~/knowledge/sources/secas/sec.md

What the SEC does, in plain language

Every smart meter in Great Britain communicates through a shared network run by the DCC. The SEC is the rulebook for this system. It says who must participate, how devices are registered, what technical standards they must meet, how the network is kept secure, how the DCC charges for its services, and what happens when things go wrong.

The SEC is unusual among industry codes because it was designated by the Secretary of State (not created by a licence condition like the BSC or Grid Code), and because it governs a physical communications infrastructure, not just commercial arrangements between market participants.

Structure

The SEC has 14 lettered sections (A through N, skipping I) plus extensive subsidiary documents (technical specifications).

Governance (A, B, C, D)

  • Section A: Definitions and Interpretation: ~400+ defined terms used across the SEC (Section A1), plus interpretation rules (A2)
  • Section B: Accession: Licensed suppliers (SLC 51/44A), distributors (SLC 41), and gas transporters (SLC 18A) must accede. DCC must accede per DCC Licence Condition 22. Voluntary accession for others. Five Party categories: Large Supplier, Small Supplier, Network Party, DCC, Other SEC Party (B3)
  • Section C: Governance: SEC Panel (Chair appointed by GEMA + supplier/network/DCC/consumer/independent members). Five SEC Objectives at C5.2: efficient DCC operation, DCC licence compliance, effective competition, efficient Code administration, consumer protection. SECAS as administrator (C3). Panel committees including TABASC, Operations Group, Security Sub-Committee (C2)
  • Section D: Modification Process: Any Party or SECAS can raise proposals (D1). Assessment via Working Groups and Impact Assessments (D2). Authority decision (D4). Self-governance route for non-material changes (D5). Secretary of State directed modifications under Energy Act 2008 s.88 (D7)

Operations (E, F)

  • Section E: Registration Data: DCC maintains the Smart Metering Inventory (SMI), the central register of all enrolled smart metering devices (E1). Devices must be registered before commissioning (E2). Links devices to MPANs/MPRNs (E4). Data quality and correction (E6)
  • Section F: Smart Metering System Requirements: Equipment must comply with SMETS (F1). Installation by competent persons (F2). Commissioning via DCC (F3). Maintenance (F4). Device functionality per SMETS (F5). Interoperability across supplier changes (F6). IHD requirements (F7). Prepayment (F8). Consumer Access Devices (F9)

Security (G, L)

  • Section G: Security: All Parties must comply with security requirements (G1). DCC operates the SMKI, the public-key infrastructure (G2). Organisation and device-level security (G3-G4). Anomaly detection (G5). Security Sub-Committee (G6). User security assessment (G7)
  • Section L: SMKI: Detailed governance of the Smart Metering Key Infrastructure. Certificate issuance and management (L2). Key lifecycle (L3-L4). Recovery and revocation (L5). SMKI Repository (L6). SMKI PMA governance (L7)

The SEC's security framework is one of the most sophisticated in UK energy regulation, reflecting the cybersecurity risks of a nationwide connected metering infrastructure controlling devices in ~34 million homes.

DCC Services (H)

  • Section H: DCC Services: Core Communication Services (message relay, H1). Elective Communication Services (on request, H2). Enabling Services (key management, firmware, H3). Service Requests and Responses (H4-H5). Service levels (H6). Prepayment infrastructure (H7). Switching services (H8). Data services (H9). Non-Gateway Interface (H10). Performance measures (H11). Business continuity (H12). Incident management (H13). Data privacy (H14)

Financial (J, K)

  • Section J: Charges and Payment: DCC charges Users per the Charging Methodology (J1). Monthly invoicing (J2). Credit cover requirements (J5). Explicit Charges for Elective Services (J7)
  • Section K: Charging Methodology: Fixed charges (K1). Per-meter volumetric charges, the primary cost-recovery mechanism (K2). Elective service charges (K3). Annual budget: DCC proposes, Ofgem approves via price control (K5-K6)

General (M)

  • Section M: General: IP in SEC materials owned by Panel (M1). Confidentiality (M2). Liability limitations (M3). Events of Default: non-payment, insolvency, material breach, credit cover failure (M4). Suspension/expulsion (M5). Withdrawal (M6). Dispute resolution (M7). Force Majeure (M8). Consumer data protection under UK GDPR (M9). Notices (M10)

Transition (N)

  • Section N: Transition: SMETS1 enrolment into DCC (N1). Legacy meter arrangements (N2). Foundation stage (N3). Migration programme (N4). This section was heavily modified 2019-2023 during the SMETS1 migration programme.

Subsidiary Documents

The SEC references extensive technical documents: SMETS1/SMETS2 (equipment specs), CHTS (Communications Hub), GBCS (message formats), DUIS (User Interface), COS (Change of Supplier), and SMKI specifications. These are maintained as part of the SEC but published separately.

Key cross-references

Defined terms

See the full register in the source file (~/knowledge/sources/secas/sec.md). Key terms unique to the SEC include: DCC, Communications Hub, Core Communication Services, Elective Communication Services, Smart Metering Inventory (SMI), SMKI, SMETS, Device, Enrolled, Service Request, DCC User, GBCS, DUIS.

Current status

  • Version: Consolidated v52.0 (February 2026)
  • Administrator: SECAS
  • DCC: Smart DCC Ltd (Capita subsidiary); DCC2 re-competition underway, new licensee expected November 2026
  • Energy Code Reform: Energy Act 2023 Part 6 will bring SEC under new code manager (NESO or successor). Second implementation consultation published April 2025.
  • Consumer consent: Ofgem decision (April 2025) changing consent rules for data access
  • SMETS1 migration: Largely complete; residual meters in legacy/dumb mode

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