BSC Audit Dimensions

The BSC Audit is a national exercise undertaken each year by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), as the current BSC Auditor, with the assistance and co-operation of many industry participants.

The objective of the BSC Audit, as set out in  Section H5 of the BSC, is to: "provide assurance (to such level as the Panel considers appropriate) that the provisions of the Code and Code Subsidiary Documents in relation to Settlement and in relation to the calculation of Funding Shares have been complied with in the Audit Year."

• The BSC Audit for 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010 involved audit activities at the following industry participants (by MPID and participant type):
• 24 Suppliers
• 102 Party Agents and Supplier Meter Registration Agents
• 14 Licenced Distribution System Operators
• 14 Unmetered Supplies Operator
• 9 Meter Administrators
• 3 BSC Agents
• 1 Market Index Data Provider
• ELEXON
• The last Audit period resulted in 269 Issue Documents (those classified as Recitified in Period and Open).
• The BSC Auditor had 5 education visits (3 Suppliers and 2 Supplier Meter Registration Agents).
• The BSC Audit is retrospective, so work is completed at the end of the audit year. The peak of on-site work is February to April and the BSC Audit Report is published in June each year.
• The BSC Audit has a Materiality Threshold of 1.65TWh. If the total materiality of the errors found by the BSC Auditor exceeds this threshold, it triggers qualification of the audit opinion (contained within each year’s BSC Audit Report).
• Each year, the BSC Auditor publishes a BSC Audit Report (including the opinion) and a Materiality Report, which sets out the quantitative impact of the key issues found during the year.
• Presentation and input to BSC committees and industry forums includes:
• BSC Panel (annually to present the BSC Audit Report);
• Performance Assurance Board (monthly input and attendance);
• Trading Disputes Committee (occasionally upon invitation);
• Supplier Agents’ Forum (occasionally upon invitation);
• Software Technical Advisory Group (occasionally upon invitation); and
• Any other committees or forums as required.
• The BSC Auditor participates in education sessions including:
• Audit debrief meetings with individual participants (annually); and
• Performance conferences/SVA forums (annually).