Thames Water has signed additional contracts with two major technology companies to support its continued smart meter rollout which aims to reach more than 1 million homes by 2030, with an aspiration to exceed 3-million-meter installations across all its regions by 2035.
The framework, which is split into two lots over an eight-year term, has a potential framework value of over £50 million based on 650,000-meter installations.
Honeywell will supply Thames Water with Concentric smart metering devices, installed outside customers' homes and in businesses, while Sensus UK Ltd will supply In-Line meters installed inside.
Both supplier’s smart meters will connect to the ‘internet of things’ using Vodafone’s innovative Narrowband IoT network (NB-IoT), covered under an existing Thames Water communications framework.
The company also has ambitious goals to halve leakage by 2050 and smart meters will be key to meeting this target
The use of NB-IoT technology on this scale, is another industry first for Thames Water’s smart metering programme, providing readily available internet connection, even in hard-to-reach places, and lower start-up costs. It will provide Thames Water and its customers with near real-time data delivering up to 24 reads a day, helping to reduce leaks in the process.
Mark Cooper, Head of Metering at Thames Water, said: “We’re committed to reaching over a million homes and businesses in the next five years and beyond and this framework is crucial to us delivering this ambitious target.
“The technology will be key in helping to reduce people’s water use, with the real time data providing insight into use and even helping us to detect leaks at customers’ homes and in businesses. Critically, our smart meters empower customers to make informed decisions about their water use, with people often using less and reducing their energy and water bills in the process.”
Thames Water has already installed over 1.2 million meters, with the support of its current providers Arqiva and Morrisons Water Services. Arqiva will remain contracted during the next AMP enabling Thames Water to rollout around a further 450,000 smart meters in London.
Customer data has shaped its future metering plans, and the company will be focusing its efforts on metering households and businesses in the Thames Valley and the Home Counties, where water use is often higher during summer, and hotter, drier periods.
Over the last decade, smart metering has helped the company detect around 84,000 customer side leaks, saving 120 mega litres of water each day, which is enough to fill 1.5 million baths. The company also has ambitious goals to halve leakage by 2050 and smart meters will be key to meeting this target, with around a third of leaks located on customers and businesses pipes.
Adam Parsonage, Sales Director at Sensus UK Systems Ltd, said “Having already delivered 1.2 m Smart Meters in partnership with Arqiva, we are delighted to continue as Thames Water’s technology partner in the next phase of their smart metering strategy. Delivering our Narrowband IoT Smart Meter portfolio alongside the Vodafone Network. We’re excited to support Thames Water’s demand reduction goals through lowering per capita consumption and reducing leakage in the coming years.”
“Our collaboration with Thames Water exemplifies Honeywell’s commitment to leveraging automation technologies to help advance critical industries, including utilities,” said Hayat Aarab, Chief Commercial Officer for Europe, Honeywell. “By integrating real-time data collection and advanced analytics, we’re helping Thames Water more accurately understand water consumption and contribute to more sustainable and resilient water infrastructure.”
