The case for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in water seems to grow with every development. Arqivas Peter Baker adds to the discussion in this article from The Water Report.
This article first appeared in The Water Report - April 2022.
The case for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in water seems to grow with every development. Just this month, some of the scenarios in Water UK's Leakage Routemap depend on it, and we now have a statutory demand reduction target coming in under the Environment Act.
Last year, seven more areas were designated as seriously water stressed, and a report commissioned by communications infrastructure provider Arqiva demonstrated an unequivocal cost benefit case for all water companies to invest in smart meters for household customers. This month, that case was strengthened by a report commissioned by MOSL which points to further cost benefit for wholesalers to invest in AMI for large users and other business customers where household rollout is taking place.
Hard evidence
Real world evidence of benefit is also starting to come in. Arqiva recently announced that it has added the millionth AMI smart water meter to its fixed nationwide tower network, and that these meters could be saving over 66m litres of water a day through improved leak detection, more detailed insight into water consumption and greater consumer engagement with the associated environmental benefits.
First mover in the UK Thames Water has been collecting hourly data from its smart customers (620,000 and counting) since 2015, spurred on by the need to cut demand. Water demand reduction manager Andrew Tucker explains the choice: It's about the additional leakage and the additional usage reduction that we will get from having a smart capability as opposed to the traditional meter system. That additional water saving was enough to justify the additional investment.
Seven years on and he says adopting AMI was the best choice . We have to save water, and stop leaks. The insight from the data is showing so many more leaks, particularly from the customer side Historically, that water balance puts all that lost water on to us whereas a lot is on the customer side, especially inside the home. So we're getting a more accurate water balance. He adds that the frequency of the data collection means customers can be notified of leaks in two days rather than having to wait for up to 12 months, and that 70-80% fix their own leaks within a week.
Tucker makes a topical observation too: that recent rises in the price of fuel and wages are hitting companies with AMR meters that require drive-by reads, and in some parts of the country monthly reads have slipped to three or six monthly. Whilst AMI provides greater cost benefit, the current economic climate does impact the sector's ability to invest in these larger capital programmes. Beyond these vital basics, there are also more creative uses of smart data coming through. In its recent Smarter ways out of water poverty study, for instance, Thames reports that smart initiatives are helping households with affordability indicators and high water usage (more than 500 litres per day) cut £40-£166 from their annual bills, a reduction of 8-17%. Meanwhile, Anglian Water is working on a pathfinder project with MOSL to investigate the feasibility and benefits for the retail market of sharing monthly smart meter reads direct to CMOS (p29).
PR24 prospects
So what can we expect to see on smart metering in water company business plans for PR24? There will, undoubtedly, be more attention to smart metering than in the past. Thames wholeheartedly recommends making the leap to smart on a leakage ticket. Tucker counsels: The best thing the country can do to reduce demand is smart meter everything and engineer out continuous flow. Before you even tackle trying to change behaviours which is very difficult just stop the water loss.
He advises other water companies to go for it on AMI, pointing out the drivers are already there in leakage pledges. Don't let the potential of a next generation in technology stop you from getting in now. Just make the call and then upgrade in the future. Start the journey.
Cost pressures
But justifying the investment in PR24 business plans, and securing support for sufficient investment from Ofwat, will obviously be a prerequisite of delivery. SES Water has had an interesting experience in this AMP relating to costs and funding. The company has committed to move from 60% meter penetration in 2020 to 90% in 2025 under a universal metering programme. It had intended for at least 10% of the new meters to be AMI, and potentially more.
Wholesale director Tom Kelly does not need convincing of the benefits. He shares: The business case for smart metering is compelling compelling enough to do smart as standard in this AMP and the next. But now he says SES' ability to deliver even its 10% AMI commitment is dependent on the resolution of supply chain issues especially the global semiconductor shortage that have pushed prices steeply up. While the cost of cheaper (c£13) dumb meters has risen by around 10%, the cost of AMI meters (originally £35-£50) has gone up far more substantially. We are keen to push forward with smart metering as soon as possible, but we can't hold off the universal metering programme any longer, Kelly says, explaining SES has a Performance Commitment on this, plus it is the last company in the area to move to a compulsory programme. It's right for us to continue the programme, irrespective of the technology.
So in the short term, SES will push on with dumb/AMR installations and install the 10% minimum AMI meters later in the AMP, when hopefully they will be more economically viable. Kelly says to bear in mind: We are small, our buying power is smaller, whi
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
The case for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in water seems to grow with every development. Arqivas Peter Baker adds to the discussion in this article from The Water Report.
