Netmore Group and Yorkshire Water have announced that Netmore has been chosen as the lead partner to replace 1.3 million water meters across Yorkshire, pending final approval from Ofwat in December 2024.
This initiative, in line with Yorkshire Water’s Water Resources Management Plan 24 and Price Review 24, aims to upgrade existing meters nearing the end of their lifecycle with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) to enhance service delivery, customer support, and efficiency. The contract is set for an initial period of five years, with data services extending for the installed meters until 2045.
As part of this agreement, Netmore will lead a consortium of suppliers to provide a comprehensive service, encompassing the delivery, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of smart meters. These meters will be connected to Netmore’s LoRaWAN network, facilitating Data-as-a-Service for Yorkshire Water. Netmore will also expand and enhance network coverage in the region, ensuring the service levels required by Yorkshire Water to meet their service improvement targets are achieved.
This programme will run alongside existing smart meter deployments, which began in 2022 when Netmore was awarded AMI frameworks by Yorkshire Water to provide LoRaWAN network services and meters for up to 360,000 households, including new developments and Domestic Metered Optants.
“This deal is an exciting new milestone for Netmore as we continue to expand our water utility initiatives across Europe and at a time when utilities and municipalities around the world are migrating to sensor-based solutions capable of providing new and valuable datasets for measuring and conserving water for their customers and to address environmental concerns. We are once again very proud that Yorkshire Water, one of UK’s leading water utilities, has trusted Netmore to lead their AMI initiatives,” said Ove Anebygd, CEO of Netmore Group.
“The initial smart metering program with Netmore launched in 2022 has helped Yorkshire Water deliver the first 500,000 litres of leakage reduction, by identifying water leakage on customers pipes,” added Adam Smith, Manager of Smart Networks and Metering Transformation, YWS. “It has also helped us to better understand water demand patterns in our initial 25,000 Netmore smart meters and target water efficiency activity, all while delivering both operational value and the long-term perspective needed for the expansion of our AMI initiatives.
“Following a rigorous evaluation process and procurement analysis, we are confident in the choice of Netmore and its partners for our meter exchange program, as they collectively have the ability to help us deliver our ambitious goals and success criteria related to leakage, water efficiency, customer experience, and operational carbon emissions.”
Yorkshire Water’s smart metering programme, which places equal emphasis on customer service and environmental protection, aims to achieve significant improvements in the following areas:
- Water leakage: Yorkshire Water aims to reduce leakage by 50% by 2050, compared to a 2020 baseline. Identifying properties with continuous water flow, which may indicate leaks or plumbing issues, allows for more precise targeting and quicker resolution of consumption anomalies
- Reduction in per capita consumption: By engaging with customers to better understand water usage, the smart metering programme is contributing to a target of 110 litres per person, per day by 2050, against a 2020 baseline
- Customer experience: Smart metering provides more detailed insights into customer water use, streamlines the move-in and move-out process, and ensures customers are on the most suitable tariff, leading to more accurate and regular water billing
- Non-household demand reduction: Yorkshire Water is aiming for a 15% reduction in non-household water demand by 2050, against a 2020 baseline, by proactively working with customers to identify ways to reduce water use and waste
Through this meter replacement programme and the transition to smart metering, Yorkshire Water will also enhance the security of its water supply, reduce the use of chemicals in water treatment, and lower carbon emissions in both water treatment and distribution.
“Since the inception of Netmore’s LoRaWAN network in the UK, we have worked diligently to establish strong customer relationships that are meaningful and impactful to the local community and environment. We are honoured to have been selected by Yorkshire Water and are committed meeting the strict requirements to deliver smart metering data that will improve their operational performance, deliver better environmental outcomes, and support regulatory compliance,” said Vadim Lyu, Managing Director UK, Netmore Group.
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