South East Water is rolling out smart meter technology across its supply area as part of a programme to replace around 900,000 water meters by 2035, providing customers with near real-time consumption data and supporting faster leak detection.
Connexin is providing the Internet of Things (IoT) communications network that underpins the programme, while Clancy is responsible for meter installation. The initiative started in January 2026 and the first phase has already been completed in Canterbury and Whitstable, where more than 13,000 household and non-household properties were upgraded by the end of March 2026.
The new meters will enable customers to monitor their daily water use more closely, helping them better understand consumption patterns and manage water bills. The technology will also provide South East Water with improved visibility across its network, allowing leaks to be identified and addressed sooner.
“We want to empower our customers by providing them with more timely information on how much water they are using and how much money they are spending. Smart meter technology also provides our team with the level of visibility required to identify customer-side leaks more quickly, leading to faster interventions and a reduction in water lost through leakage,” said Rowena Hammond, Head of Customer Demand Management at South East Water.
South East Water supplies drinking water to around 2.3 million customers across parts of Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent. According to the company, approximately 90% of domestic customers already have a water meter, while research indicates that metered households use on average 15% less water than unmetered properties.
The utility plans to have installed nearly 300,000 smart meters by 2030. By the completion of the programme in 2035, almost 900,000 existing meters will have been replaced across its service area.
The rollout forms a key component of South East Water’s Water Resources Management Plan and supports its goal of halving leakage by 2050.
