Designing for privacy

People are pragmatic about privacy.

Their acceptance of the deployment of Smart meters into their homes will be underpinned by the benefits they perceive, their trust in the uses to which their data will be put and their confidence in its security. This in turn is underpinned by the level of control people feel they have over their data.

Our challenge, in the energy and utility sectors, is to ensure consumers understand the benefits, are provided with meaningful options from which to choose, and are given the confidence they need in the way we operate our businesses - putting customers, and their trust, as well as their needs at the heart of our organisational cultures.

The time is, therefore, right for organisations to undertake a Privacy Impact Assessment for the handling of Smart meter data, audit their existing data protection policies and procedures and to begin building that confidence ahead of the mass deployment of Smart meters.

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