Greentech Lead U.K: ENER-G Switch2 (ES2), a U.K.-based supplier
of metering and billing solutions, has been selected by Kirklees Neighbourhood
Housing (KNH) to provide energy metering and billing services to help residents
reduce fuel bills and carbon dioxide emissions.
The project utilizes the innovative G6 EcoServe data
collection and energy management technology, designed and developed by ES2.
KNH appointed ES2 in December 2011under a £1.7m contract
to create a flexible energy management and payment process for its residents
and provide a five-year maintenance and data administration program for all
homes connected to the community heating supply.
The new G6 system provides a fair and accurate
billing process for both pay-as-you-go and credit billing consumers. It
incorporates an in-home display unit that lets customers see, in graphical
form, how much energy they are consuming, when they are using it, how much it
is costing them and how much credit they have available.
This facility, which complies with the Code for
Sustainable Homes, makes it easier for residents to budget and to monitor and
manage their energy usage, helping them to reduce consumption and costs. The
pay-as-you-go element works much like topping up a mobile phone, using smart
wireless technology to replace the traditional token-based pre-payment system.
Since the roll-out of the G6 technology began 6
months ago, residents have reduced overall energy consumption by 15 percent,
but when winter consumption is factored in and residents get used to the
system, KNH predicts that the annual average consumption will reduce by 30 to
50 percent.
ES2 remotely manages and monitors the G6 system from its
customer service centre, enabling residents to flex between credit billing and
pay-as-you go to suit their circumstances. Analysts continually
monitor consumer data and can identify exceptional usage patterns or instances
where residents frequently opt to disconnect their supply. This serves as an
early warning signal that can assist scheme operators in targeting support
towards vulnerable residents who may not be using the system effectively or
efficiently.
ENER-G can fund the cost of introducing the G6
EcoServe system, as well as any required metering, thereby taking care of
the complete metering and billing service. This allows housing providers
to support their residents in reducing fuel costs, without making any upfront
investment.
The technology is not just for use with
community energy and multi-fuel schemes, additional meters can be
connected for potable water and electricity as it has 5 data inputs. G6 uses
secure wireless GPRS transmission, which simplifies installation and makes the
system suitable for both new builds and retrofits of any size, even at a micro
scale.