Smart metering is set to play a central role in the next phase of water sector transformation in the UK. As AMP8 accelerates the rollout of smart meters, network sensors and IoT devices, water companies have an opportunity to gain a richer, more granular view of demand, consumption, leakage and network performance.
But, as the energy sector has shown, value does not come from the meter itself. It comes from how the data is used.
In this episode, CGI Utilities experts Rich Hampshire, Stuart Brand and Luke Eeles explore how water companies can move beyond data collection to deliver actionable insight, improve operational performance, build customer trust and make better long-term investment decisions.
They discuss the lessons water can learn from energy smart metering, and why operating models, data governance, standards, privacy and customer engagement need to be considered from the start – not added on later.
Key takeaways from the episode
1. Smart metering value comes from actionable insight, not meters alone
Smart meters will give water companies access to more granular data, but the value lies in how that data is used. The discussion explores how smart meter data can support better planning, maintenance, workforce optimisation and customer-facing services.
“Leading with value rather than talking about meters or data. For me, value accrues from actionable insights that can be created from the data produced and generated by smart meters,” says Rich Hampshire.
2. Water companies need to think beyond rollout and focus on the operating model
Smart meter deployment is only one part of the challenge. To unlock value, water companies need to consider the operating model around the data, including how it supports leakage reduction, demand management, customer service and capital planning.
“The meter is about the data or it creates the data, but it’s really about the operating model. So, if we’re talking about value creation, it’s the operating model. It has to be considered on an end-to-end basis,” explains Stuart Brand.
3. The water sector can learn from energy — but should not copy it directly
Energy smart metering offers valuable lessons, but our experts explore why water may have more in common with downstream gas than electricity, and why the sector needs to apply lessons carefully.
“I would suggest that for the water sector, there’s possibly more similarities with the downstream gas sector. The dynamics of the system are similar. Both are fluids. For starters, both can be stored,” says Rich Hampshire.
4. Decisions made now could shape future innovation
Some of the most valuable use cases may not be fully visible at the start of the rollout. The episode draws on experience from energy, where future uses such as flexibility and greater network visibility emerged over time. For water, this means today’s decisions on architecture, standards and access should not limit tomorrow’s opportunities.
“An important thing to consider at this stage we’re at now is to make sure we don’t design out those opportunities. So decisions we make now mustn’t preclude some of the things that we may not believe today, but are very likely to happen in the fullness of time,” says Stuart Brand.
5. Standardisation will be critical to avoiding siloed data
The discussion highlights the risk of water companies rolling out smart metering in different ways, creating fragmented implementations and data sets. Establishing common standards for data access and control will be important if the sector is to maximise value from the rollout.
“There is a risk that we end up with siloed implementations or siloed data sets,” explains Stuart Brand. “These meters are going in the ground today. So, we’re building up that meter debt, that infrastructure debt.”
6. Privacy, security and trust need to be designed in from the start
The podcast closes with a strong message on governance. Data access, consent, privacy, cyber security and customer trust are not secondary considerations. They need to be built into the ecosystem early, so consumers understand how their data will be used and why it matters.
“Some of these harder questions are not technically about the technology. They’re about access, consent and standards, and ultimately consumer trust,” says Stuart Brand.
Learn more
CGI works with utilities organisations to transform operations, improve customer experience and drive cost efficiencies across the sector. Our UK utilities experience spans electricity, gas and water, with decades of involvement in major market and technology change.
Visit our Utilities, Water and Energy Networks pages for more insights.
Get in touch with our Utilities team to discuss how we can help your organisation deliver for PR24 and beyond.
