Smart meter roll-out halted on North York Moors to prevent ‘interference with nuclear warning system’

Energy customers living near to RAF Fylingdales have been told they cannot have a smart meter installed as it may interfere with early warning systems for nuclear weapons.
By Louise Perrin
Published 18th Feb 2022, 17:11 BST
Updated 18th Feb 2022, 17:12 BST
RAF FylingdalesRAF Fylingdales
RAF Fylingdales

The base, located on the A169 in the heart of the North Yorkshire Moors, is a key part of a missile defence system which helps the UK detect inbound ballistic missile attacks

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the smart meter’s signals may clash with Fylingdale’s radar monitoring equipment.

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A letter from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, seen by the paper, said: “Some premises within the vicinity of RAF Fylingdales will require new technology that industry has been developing – a special type of communications hub – for smart meters at those properties to connect to the national smart metering network.”

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Ministers have stopped the roll-out to houses near the base until they can be given a meter that operates on a different frequency.

One person living close to RAF Fylingdales queried the situation with their energy supplier and posted their response on a forum hosted by the Money Saving Expert website: “The Communication Hubs we install in the north operate at a certain radio frequency (420 Hz), but for installs in and around this area we are required to install Communication Hubs that operate at a different frequency - 450 Hz. This is to prevent interference with the listening frequencies.”

The Government said that alternative tech compatible with RAF Fylingdales is currently being rolled out, with a test deployment to 300 homes currently under way.

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Mike Hewitt, the chief technology officer of Smart DCC, the Capita-owned company which runs the smart meter radio network, told the Telegraph: “This work around RAF Fylingdales is a good example of the kind of technical problem-solving needed to connect every home and small business to the nationwide secure smart metering network.

"I’m pleased that by working with the local community and our partners, we’ve built a solution that works for consumers in the area and the RAF.”

He said hundreds of homes nearby had already been given the new tech.