Update on DCC CCS P1 switching incident progress 21/08
DCC notified industry parties, including RECCo, on 06/07/23 that a major incident with the Central Switching Service (CSS) was impacting supply switch messages and new registration messages for gas and electricity supply customers. DCC has updated CSS with the required information and sent the missing switch messages and new registration messages to market participants. This activity was completed by 08/08/23 in line with DCC’s planned timeframes.
DCC has now commenced a data reconciliation phase to confirm that all the required CSS updates have been made and that all messages have been successfully sent to, and processed by, market participants. During this phase, RECCo will require DCC to continue to have regular dialogue with market participants through the established SOIF sessions and any required bilateral meetings to ensure that any consequential impacts to industry arrangements have been identified and to gain their agreement that full reconciliation of the incident has been achieved.
RECCo will also require DCC to conduct a post-incident review and deliver a report on its findings to the REC Performance Assurance Board, in line with the obligation set out in REC Schedule 26 (Switching Service Management), clause 2.16.
RECCo is very aware of the frustrations felt by many market participants concerning this incident, including its duration and DCC’s approach to communication with the wider industry. We will work with DCC – and draw on support from the Code Manager, our legal advisers, and impacted stakeholders – to deliver a wide-ranging incident review to the REC Board, industry, and Ofgem. The review will ensure that all the relevant lessons are learned to prevent a repeat of this incident and that the required changes and improvements are implemented to allow DCC to assure industry market participants that the CSS is fit for purpose. The review will also ensure that the appropriate actions and sanctions are allocated to the appropriate parties if performance levels are found to have been missed, or there have been breaches of the REC.
RECCo expects to present the preliminary findings of the review to the REC Performance Assurance Board in September and will publish those findings to market participants as soon as possible after that.
Regular daily updates will be available via the REC Portal until the incident has been fully resolved.
You can contact DCC via the switching portal here.
