‘Crowded meter room’ solution aims to boost smart meter uptake

A new solution designed to boost the uptake of smart meters among consumers living in shared residential buildings has been given the green light following a successful pilot.

The solution, which has been developed by a collective of UK energy suppliers known as Alt Han, as well as energy infrastructure company SMS, allows smart meters to be installed alongside new devices which are designed to improve the range of the Home Area Network (HAN) in apartment blocks.

Issues with connectivity have blighted the smart meter rollout from the beginning, with an estimated c.1 million British households (or 4% of the housing stock) affected by issues where the components of the HAN – the meter, in-home device, and communications hub – are unable to communicate with each other. This is typically the case in apartment blocks where components must be installed farther apart than allowed for by the normal HAN range.

Alt Han has developed a solution, which began to be rolled out last year, whereby devices known as ‘bridges’ are installed to boost connectivity in residential buildings. Yet the consortium identified more than 5,000 shared residential buildings in Great Britain (more than 100,000 households) where there is insufficient space in crowded meter rooms or utility cupboards to install smart meters as well as the new ‘bridge’ device.

Speaking to Utility Week Tom Woolley, smart product & strategy director at SMS, explained that SMS, IMServ and Morrison Data Services explored ways of making space by redesigning meter rooms and specifically, by moving the meter on the wall.

“We redesigned the electrical wiring and we will move meters accordingly to make space, use as much space as we can in the meter room to accommodate the extra equipment that’s needed for smart,” he said.

The ‘Crowded Meter Room’ (CRM) model, developed at SMS’ energy innovation hub in Bolton, Lancashire, was piloted across 100 residential buildings by SMS and the other companies during 2023 in collaboration with various energy suppliers, electricity distribution companies, landlords, homeowners, and tenants.

Following this successful trial, Alt Han has given the go-ahead to roll out the new services nationwide, with both SMS and IMServe taking the solution forward from the middle of this year.

Additionally, Ofgem has approved a change proposal to the Retail Energy Code (REC) which will allow SMS and other Meter Equipment Managers to undertake these works in residential buildings supplied by multiple energy suppliers.

“The final mile of the (smart meter) rollout is going to become quite difficult to gain the efficiencies that we have enjoyed in the early days,” Woolley said. “I think this could be the opportunity to show industry how a single point such as Alt Han can harness mass collaboration with all the energy suppliers and instruct one or two operators to go and do an install.

“One of the things that we did in the pilot which was unique to SMS is, because of the relationships we had with the energy suppliers that just happened to be supplying customers in one of these high rises, we were able to offer all of the residents a smart meter install at the same time as we were moving the meter which makes sense because if you are a consumer, you only get interrupted once.”

He further explained that the cost savings will ultimately trickle down into consumer bills.

Meanwhile Paul Cooper, managing director of Alt Han, said: “The Crowded Meter Room pilot has demonstrated that Alt Han can successfully co-ordinate resolution works in meter rooms to enable smart meter installs for customers who would otherwise not be able to access the benefits. We are looking forward to working with energy suppliers and our two regional Meter Equipment Managers to mobilise and run the enduring CMR service.”

Utility Week recently wrote about the latest smart meter installation figures and what they mean for the future of the rollout. You can read more here.