Ofgem has confirmed an order that supplier Avro must sign up to the smart meter data hub (DCC) by 25 July and stop taking on new customer accounts after 26 May until it signs up.

Ofgem proposed the order in March. It dismissed arguments by Avro that there were mitigating circumstances and that there had ben an extension to the end of rollout for first generation (Smets 1) meters. But the regulator said noted one of its principal reasons for seeking the final order was its lack of confidence in Avro’s willingness to engage until the matter was escalated. It said that “based on Avro’s conduct to date, the Authority was not convinced that it could rely on an undertaking volunteered by Avro to take action as required without the final order being in place”.

When the order was proposed, Citizens’ Advice said: “Engaging with the DCC is essential for the roll out of second generation smart meters (Smets2). Avro’s failure to join the DCC means it’s unprepared for that rollout, leaving its customers with with first generation meters (Smets1) that lose smart functionality if they switch suppliers. Suppliers shouldn’t risk consumer confidence in the programme by giving their customers a sub-par experience.”