Smart meter deal to solve procurement issues for challengers

Landis+Gyr has renewed its partnership with Calvin Capital in a deal it says will reduce the challenges faced by smaller energy suppliers in procuring smart meters.

Under the new agreement, Landis+Gyr will provide between 400,000 and 2 million SMETS2 smart meters to challenger energy brands which use Calvin Capital as their meter asset provider (MAP).

The contract will enable Calvin Capital, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Calisen, to procure Landis+Gyr smart meters collectively for smaller suppliers.

Speaking to Utility Week Simon Egan, managing director UK, Ireland and Netherlands at Landis+Gyr explained that the deal will allow Calvin Capital to provide adjustable volumes of meters to smaller suppliers, adding that it aims to “turbo charge” smart meter deployment.

He said: “We have signed some pretty large agreements with the big six over the years and they have been very much around volume commitments which allow us to be able to set up the manufacturing supply chain and everything in place to be able to deliver meters to our customers.

“They all came from a very strong position of a strong customer base, customer size, internal resources and they have their own installers. On the other hand, for the independents, that’s a totally different case.”

The company believes that the expanded partnership reflects the fact that smaller suppliers have increased their market share in recent years, meaning their role within the smart meter rollout has become more important.

In a further statement, Egan added: “Innovative customers need innovative solutions and our first-of-its-kind funding and delivery model will help these independent suppliers deliver against their commitments to bring the benefits of smart metering to every house in the country.

“We have been working with Calvin Capital for many years and are proud of our ability to help this part of the supplier market navigate the challenges associated with major procurement projects.”