SSE PLC’s (LON:SEE) retail business’ new owner Ovo Energy has been landed with a £1.2mln for bill for the power giant’s failure to install enough smart meters in 2019.
SSE Energy Services failed to meet its smart meter installation target for 2019, before it was acquired by Ovo Energy in 2020, said industry regulator Ofgem.
Ovo will still pay the bill even though it only took over SSE’s retail business In January.
The UK government’s smart metering programme requires suppliers to take all reasonable steps to rollout smart meters to all homes and small businesses by mid-2021.
It is the second fine levied on SSE for a failure to meet smart targets. In 2018, Ofgem fined the company £700,000.
Ovo paid SSE £500mln for its retail business, which has since been heavily rationalised with more than 2,500 job cuts announced in May.