The government has released a consultation looking at whether “smart devices” should meet the “minimum cybersecurity” requirement by the mid-2020s. It says the greater use of Energy Smart Appliances (ESAs), including smart meters, could create “new routes for cybersecurity attacks”. In 2021, an ethical hacking company was able to hack into a utility company’s network and turn off smart meters in North America.
The government consultation says there are “limited consumer protections to build trust in the” [Energy Smart Appliances] market.”
It said: “In addition, greater use of ESAs and other related services could pose risks to the energy system, such as creating new routes for cybersecurity attacks.”
The government wants to strengthen cybersecurity around the industry, as more smart devices and connectivity mean more ways to break into networks, including the energy grid.
The consultation read: “Our intent is to prioritize interventions that reduce the most pressing risks or unlock the most important benefits, such as interoperability of time-of-use rates and minimum cybersecurity requirements for ESAs. As such, we are taking a phased approach
implementation, with some measures potentially applicable from 2024.”
Smart meters communicate on a closed system called the Smart Meter Wide Area Network, which is maintained to high security standards and endorsed by the National Cyber Security Center, according to Shell Energy.
The consultation also proposes rewarding consumers depending on when they use their electricity, some of these proposals are already in place.
For example, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations sold after June 2022 must meet minimum cybersecurity requirements. In addition, EV owners can subscribe to services where they get discounts, rewards or cashback to have a third party check when their car is being charged.
The government provides this with smart meters or other smart devices such as heat pumps. It would encourage so-called “time-of-use tariffs,” meaning energy would likely be more expensive at peak times.
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Although the consultation focuses on all smart devices, the government admits that there are concerns about smart meters.
The consultation reads: “However, private communication networks, such as the smart metering home/wide-area network, can also be used. These different communication networks will pose different cybersecurity risks. There are also relevant interoperability, availability and latency considerations.”
Interoperability and latency issues have been highlighted by reports that up to four million smart meters are currently operating in “dumb” mode, rendering them useless.
There have been reports of issues with meters simply not working or not connecting after a customer’s energy supplier change.
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There have also been some reports of the devices giving wildly inaccurate readings.
Many consumers have switched to smart meters to monitor their real-time energy consumption, following a spike in energy prices.
The government says the devices are needed to help achieve its goal of being net carbon-zero by 2050.
At the end of March 2022, there were 28.8 million households with smart meters installed in the UK, just over half. The government hopes to have enabled every household in the UK to install a smart meter by 2025.