Tool

(Semi-)automatic water meters

(Semi-)automatic water meters measure and communicate consumption for monitoring and billing and make manual reading obsolete.

DESCRIPTION

Semi-automatic or automatic water meters measure water consumption or abstraction and communicate this information in an automated fashion for monitoring and billing. They measure consumption in more detail than conventional meters and have the benefit that they transmit the information back to the service provider without the need for manual readings.1 This is also called smart water metering.

PURPOSE & LINK TO INTEGRITY

(Semi-)automatic water metering aims to reduce inefficiencies and illicit practices in water supply systems for reducing non-revenue water and increasing revenue.1

  • They allow remote detection of illegal connections.
  • They increase billing accuracy to promote payments that reflect consumption (see tool Transparent bills).
  • They prevent corrupt practices relating to meter reading and illegal connections, as no meter readers are in direct contact with the users.
  • They reduce costs relating to meter reading, complaint investigation, customer call centre services, and transportation.
  • They enable flexible tariff structures through improved data management and allow utilities to monitor water resources remotely.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

  • Does your organization have an adequate IT infrastructure in place to process the transmitted data from (semi-)automatic meters?
  • Does your organization have an adequate billing system in place to ensure correct billing of meter readings and collection of bills? (See also tools Transparent bills and Billing system)

HOW TO

(Semi-)automatic metering systems can be configured in many ways and, when broadly defined, the term includes both Automated Meter Reading (AMR) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems. While the former refers to a system that allows automatic collection of meter readings by radio transmission, the latter system involves two-way communication in which consumption information can be transmitted to utilities, and commands can be sent to meters to undertake specific functions.1

Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is an integrated system of smart meters, communications networks, and data management systems that enables two-way communication between utilities and customers. The goal of an AMI is to provide utilities with real-time data about power consumption and allow customers to make informed choices about energy usage based on the price at the time of use .2,3 The system can help to streamline operations in a cost-effective way. Featuring two-way communications down to the meter, AMI network solutions frequently collect, deliver, manage and analyse data. With this information, the utility can gain a more comprehensive understanding of how and when usage takes place, which in turn leads to more proactive management of customers and resources.4

KEY GUIDING DOCUMENTS

Hope, R., Foster, T., Money, A., Rouse, M., Money, N. & Thomas, M., 2011, Smart Water Systems, Project report to Department for International Development (DFID), UK, http://r4d.dfid.gov.uk/PDF/Outputs/Water/SmartWaterSystems_FinalReport-Main(Reduced)_April2011.pdf, accessed 07.12.2015

Itron, 2007, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Itron, https://www.itron.com/na/productsAndServices/electricity/Pages/Solutions_Advanced-Metering-Infrastructure.aspx, accessed 04.12.2015

FURTHER  READINGS

WhatIs.com, no year, Smart Grid Glossary, WhatIs.com, http://whatis.techtarget.com/glossary/Smart-Grid, accessed 04.12.2015

SmartGrid.gov, no year, Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Customer Systems, SmartGrid.gov, https://www.smartgrid.gov/recovery_act/deployment_status/ami_and_customer_systems, accessed 04.12.2015

FULL REFERENCES

  1. Hope, R., Foster, T., Money, A., Rouse, M., Money, N. & Thomas, M., 2011, Smart Water Systems, Project report to Department for International Development (DFID), UK, http://r4d.dfid.gov.uk/PDF/Outputs/Water/SmartWaterSystems_FinalReport-Main(Reduced)_April2011.pdf accessed 07.12.2015
  2. WhatIs.com, no year, Smart Grid Glossary, WhatIs.com, http://whatis.techtarget.com/glossary/Smart-Grid, accessed 04.12.2015
  3. SmartGrid.gov, no year, Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Customer Systems, SmartGrid.gov, https://www.smartgrid.gov/recovery_act/deployment_status/ami_and_customer_systems, accessed 04.12.2015
  4. Itron, 2007, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), https://www.itron.com/na/productsAndServices/electricity/Pages/Solutions_Advanced-Metering-Infrastructure.aspx, accessed 04.12.2015
Last updated 11 April 2019

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