| Smart metering – connecting consumers to their utilities
Elster
Traditionally utility consumers have been billed from a meter reading captured once a month or less frequently in some cases. The result of the traditional metering and meter reading approach has created a disconnect between the consumer and their consumption of energy. In addition most utilities have billed their consumers on a fixed cost per unit of consumption without regard to the changing energy costs throughout the day. Historically energy consumption by the consumer has been relatively cheap. In addition, there was little known about the impact of energy consumption on the environment. In today’s times though, energy costs have gone up tremendously and the impact on the global environment is starting to be understood better.
Through its extensive experience in the utility industry, Elster has recognised this trend and has invested in metering technologies that allow utilities to collect usage information in real time from each consumer. These technologies are commonly known as smart meters and have become a significant growth area for Elster’s business.
Elster smart metering systems include meters with communications devices incorporated. This allows the utility to collect usage data from each connected meter along with operational parameters such as outage, tampering, and power quality information. These systems also allow the utility to share the collected usage information in real time with consumers through in-home displays or via the Internet. By connecting the consumer to their usage information, consumers are able to conserve energy in peak times as well as throughout a typical billing period.
Reductions in peak demand and non-peak demand will allow utilities to optimise their generation technologies to have the least impact on the environment while still delivering energy as cost effectively as possible.
While Elster smart metering systems will help consumers monitor usage, they also allow utilities to correct service interruptions more quickly while improving efficiencies in meter reading, billing, and customer service operations. Utilities using smart metering systems can also expect to improve business operations through advanced system control, real-time outage notification, and power quality monitoring.
Smart metering not just for electric utilities
Electric utilities are not the only utility providers benefiting from smart metering technology. Elster smart metering systems are available for water, gas and electric meters and provide similar benefits to water and gas utilities as their electric utility counterparts.
While water and gas utilities enjoy typical benefits delivered through smart metering systems such as streamlined operations and enhanced customer service capabilities, they also are able to use collected data for other uses including leak detection and pinpointing system losses. In the future, water and gas utilities will also be able to couple smart valve technology with a smart metering system to have even greater control over their distribution system and provide enhanced customer service functions.
Like with electric utilities, water and gas consumers can also be connected via an in-home display to their resource consumption in real time. The ability to monitor consumption by the consumer has become more important today than ever. Fresh water supplies have been under pressure for some time due to droughts and increased consumption and natural gas prices have risen significantly in the past several years. Connecting consumers to their consumption will facilitate conservation and allow the consumer to manage their utility costs more readily than ever.
Elster vision
Elster has a 170-year heritage of water, gas, and electric metering technology innovation and has led the market in the development of smart metering and smart grid system solutions.
By leveraging its metering heritage and investment in new technologies, Elster will help utilities deal with increasing environmental pressures, higher supply and delivery costs, and capacity constraints. Not only will Elster smart metering and smart grid technology help utilities be efficient resource providers, they will also create a necessary link between the customer and the utility. It is through this link to its consumers that utilities will be able to foster an environment of conservation while providing a utility service at the most reasonable cost possible.
Efficient service delivery and connecting consumers to their utilities is the cornerstone of Elster’s vision in helping create the “utility of tomorrow” today.
W: www.elster.com
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