Essex & Suffolk Water has chosen Connexin as a new partner to assist with the roll-out of smart meters across the Essex and Suffolk supply regions.
The water company has committed to ensuring that all water meters are “smart” by 2035, and smart technology and digital provider Connexin has secured a contract to support this commitment.
Smart water meters measure how much water is used by a household, and then send automatic readings to the water provider.
Over the next 11 years and beyond, Connexin will provide a wireless communications network that will serve up to a million households and businesses. This network will enable remote access to hourly water meter readings, enhancing the visibility of usage and empowering customers to manage their bills more effectively.
This will also help the water company to identify and reduce household leakage across Essex & Suffolk, and in turn, reduce the amount of water wasted across some of the country’s most water-stressed regions.
Gary Adams, Head of the Smart Transformation Programme at Essex & Suffolk Water, said: “Our partnership with Connexin is a cornerstone in supporting our smart meter rollout ambition in these regions and we are excited to bring their extensive knowledge and experience into our programme of work.
“We are passionate about the environment and our targets to reduce both consumption and leakage, creating a more water-efficient system for our customers. Our rollout of smart metering will support this and provide valuable insight in shaping how the industry can better understand where water is used, and make sure we’re looking after it for the future.
“We know that approximately 18% of our domestic customers have a leak at their property which has a direct impact on the value of their bill.
“Through this smart connectivity, we will be able to detect customer side leakage more precisely and quicker than before supporting our customers in keeping their bills as low as possible. The hourly data will also allow us to work with our customers to demonstrate how much water they are using and provide guidance on how to reduce it to help improve people’s lives and safeguard our environment.”
Connexin has been awarded a contract of up to 15 years to provide the infrastructure, five years initially with the option to extend for a further 10 years.
Dan Preece, Vice President of Water & Utilities at Connexin, said: “We have proved once again we are a leader in smart water infrastructure.
“Securing the largest UK water metering contract is a commitment to the well-being of our communities and the conservation of our most precious resource. Together we are paving the way for a more connected, efficient, and responsible world - one drop at a time.”