Smart metering has been a major theme in the residential water and energy sector for many years, driven by regulations on energy distribution and by the need to manage growing demand for electricity.

Many meter products are available, but a deployment of several millions requires careful choice of the meter and thinking of the meter as an asset. In the UK, financing for meter deployments are made through 3rd party lenders rather than by the utilities themselves. To control risk, funding partners need to consider key aspects, including: asset lifetime, fiscal grade accuracy measurement, secure bi-directional communications, and firmware security. This underlines the importance of carrying out detailed technical due diligence on the meter - will it perform as specified?  Similar considerations will apply to asset rollouts for renewable energy sources, electric vehicle charging points and potentially heat pumps.

Sentec has played a major role in the UK Smart Electricity Meter rollout, drawing on its technology design and due diligence capabilities. Our extensive expertise in electrical measurement technology, volume product design and manufacturer assessment has helped several large metering asset providers manage risk on their chosen smart meter rollouts.