Strategic Panel champions smart meters for all businesses by 2030

Water companies should roll out of smart meters to all non-household customers in AMP8, the Strategic Panel urged as it published its interim metering strategy last week.

The strategy, published as interim to be in time for water companies to factor in to their final Water Resource Management Plans and PR24 business plans, recommended smart meters for all business customers in 2025-30. Where that is not possible, companies should prioritise ensuring all medium (25-50mm) and large (50mm or more) meters are smart in AMP8. It pointed out that targeting this 13% of the meters in the market would mean that 72% of water consumption becomes smart metered within five years.

The recommendations sought to ensure the non household market plays its part in responding to future demand challenges, including by achieving Defra’s target of reducing overall consumption in the NHH market by 9% by 2038.

The Strategic Panel also stressed the importance of water companies rolling out smart meters at a similar speed to avoid a data ‘slow lane’ and ‘fast lane’ developing in which the quality of data and therefore services retailers can offer customers varies significantly from region to region.

The interim strategy, which is available here, will be used as the basis for a detailed strategy, which will be developed over the next year.