Smart meters – start analysing your energy use!
Every school in Hampshire will have a smart meter installed by British Gas during the winter of 2010/11. Once it is installed, you’ll be able to start reducing your energy bills.
Smart meters - also known as Automated Meter Reading (AMR) - measure the electricity and gas delivered to your school. It provides your school with information that will help you to reduce your energy consumption, which is becoming increasingly important for compliance with recent Government legislation.
Installation of smart meters typically involves fitting monitoring devices to existing meters or replacing meters with modern smart meters.
Smart meters save money
Data from your smart meter identifies the times of the day and the buildings when energy is used the most. The meters provide a profile of your energy use based on readings taken every half an hour. This helps identify when most energy is used and where to investigate the changes you need to make to reduce the energy you use, which will ultimately help you to cut your energy costs.
The web-based software allows you to see your school’s energy consumption through a tool called ‘Energy360’ your school will have online access to a range of reports, including graphs of energy consumption for each day, week or month. This avoids the need to manually read meters at regular intervals and allows detailed analysis of energy consumption.
You can make the reports as wide or as detailed as you like – click on a chosen day and the reporting tool will ‘zoom in’ to show the half hourly data.
The system is also able to display the carbon emissions that have been produced - helpful if you are monitoring energy as part of the curriculum, or working to become a more sustainable school.
This user friendly system will help you target your energy saving measures where they will be most effective.
Invest to save money
Currently, a smart meter will cost your school around £200 a year. Depending on how you pay your bills, it may be added to the standing charge that you pay to your energy supplier.
Using your smart meter to make energy savings will enable you to recoup this amount and much more!
The Government requires schools to install smart meters by 2014 as part of its carbon agenda.
Hampshire County Council will have installed smart meters in all its schools by 2011, sooner than required as part of its commitment to cut carbon emissions by 20% by 2015.
Smart meter support
If you would like more information, or require help and support in getting the best out of your smart meter, contact us by emailing email@example.com or by calling 01962 847840.