Optimal Monitoring calls for clarity from Ofgem
Optimal Monitoring has written to Ofgem to highlight an opportunity to make energy data more accessible, helping customers reduce waste, cut costs and move faster towards net zero.
In the letter, Chief Executive Duncan Everett makes the case for simpler access to meter data, so that organisations can put it to work themselves or with the support of their chosen energy management partner. The aim is a clear, consistent route to access.
Making more of existing data
Across Great Britain, meters record how buildings and businesses use energy. Half-hourly consumption data can reveal unnecessary overnight demand, flag changes in performance and show whether energy-saving measures are working.
In our experience, the data collectors we work with already have systems that can provide this information through daily exports. The capability exists, but the process for arranging access can vary depending on who appointed the data collector. A clearer approach would make it easier for customers, suppliers, data collectors and authorised agents to work together.
A clear Ask of Ofgem
We have asked Ofgem to confirm that:
- Bill payers can access their metered consumption data, regardless of who arranged the data collection service.
- Data collectors can provide that data directly to customers or their authorised agents, following appropriate validation, without requiring separate supplier permission.
- A recent utility bill and, where applicable, a signed letter of authority are an appropriate basis for validating access requests.
Customer authorisation and proper validation remain central to the proposal. The goal is to make legitimate requests straightforward and consistent. For the data collectors described in our letter, the technical capability is already in place, and clear guidance could should help it into an accessible and valuable tool for UK PLC to reduce costs and carbon to the benefit of everyone.
Why this matters now
The customer already pays for this data. The cost of metering and data collection is recovered through their bills, including the standing charge. It is hard to justify a position in which a customer funds the collection of their data but must seek a third party’s permission to see it, use it or send it to their agents and service providers.
The mechanism is already in place. No new infrastructure, industry change programme or additional charge is needed. What is missing is regulatory clarity.
This request also sits squarely within the direction of government policy this year:
- In March 2026 the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) opened its Data for AI in the energy system call for evidence, which closed on 24 April 2026. It sought evidence on barriers to accessing energy data, including data fragmented across organisations and ownership of proprietary data. The obstacles we describe are a clear example.
- The Energy Digitalisation Framework, published by DESNZ and Ofgem in March 2026, sets the goal of secure, interoperable data sharing and gives Ofgem responsibility for regulatory delivery.
- Government’s Smart Data 2035 strategy commits to consulting on detailed energy smart data proposals in 2026.
- Ofgem’s own Consumer Consent decision recognises that inconsistent practices and consumer confusion are limiting access to valuable data such as meter data.
These initiatives will take time to reach full implementation. A clear statement from Ofgem now would remove an immediate barrier, and would be consistent with every one of them.
If Great Britain is to reduce demand, target efficiency investment and make sound strategic decisions for net zero, energy users must be able to own and direct their own consumption data.
We urge Ofgem to step in and remove this barrier.
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