The smart meter rollout explained
Between 2025-2030 we are carrying out the largest investment in the North West's water services in more than 100 years.
Our plan – delivering improvements to services, reducing sewer overflows, safeguarding water supplies and supporting customers with their bills - will also see more than 900,000 new smart meters installed across the North West including the exchange of all 170,000 business customer meters.
Smart metering is a key element to help both households and businesses across the North West to understand how much water they are using.
Smart meters will provide us with a much greater understanding of how our customers are using water across the region - help to locate leaks both on our own network and customer premises.
The benefits for businesses will be significant
There is already wide support for smart metering especially amongst businesses, recognising the opportunities that detailed consumption data from smart metering offers in supporting reduced water usage and the potential for service and tariff innovation.
As meters are exchanged, customers will start to benefit from increased frequency of meter reads. Plus this provides more detailed insight into your water usage.
Key benefits of smart metering
Increased visibility of water usage
Smart metering will deliver more frequent meter reads without the need for anyone to visit your premise to obtain a reading. We then hope to share this consumption data with retailers, providing a much greater understanding of how much water you are using so you can look for ways to reduce any unnecessary water use. The benefits will be a reduction in estimated meter readings and a greater potential to reduce usage and lower your bills.
Leak identification
Smart metering data will help to identify consumption changes in real-time leading to much quicker identification of leaks.
Water efficiency
Businesses will be able to understand their usage and make more informed decisions on potential consumption reduction activity.
Supply and resilience
Smart metering will enable both ourselves and your retailer to understand exactly when and where supply issues have occurred. The data will also help us to better forecast and prepare for the effects of events such as dry weather.
Environment
Reducing water consumption means more water is preserved in the natural environment and less wastewater is produced. This protects natural habitats and helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with the production of clean water and the treatment of wastewater.
Improved products and services
Smart metering data will enable service and tariff innovation. The increase in available data will also enable businesses to make more informed choices on products and services.