Major brewer Fuller’s has decided to install smart energy meters in 160 of its managed pubs in a bid to reduce energy consumption.
The company will be installing new equipment to monitor electricity and gas consumption, which will provide comprehensive information on when and where energy is used.
The new smart electricity and gas meters will also provide the company with all kinds of energy management reports and forecasts, as well as highlighting any abnormalities in the load profile of a particular meter or site.
The majority of existing electricity and gas meters are hidden from view and provide little or no information for the customer on energy usage.
Fuller’s are implementing smarter metering that offers greater awareness and influence over energy use than currently exists in the UK. These metering systems have been rolled out with considerable success across a number of international marketplaces such as the US and Italy and more recently Australia and Sweden.
There is no single definition of smart metering, however all smart-meter systems comprise an electronic box and a communications link. At its most basic, a smart meter measures electronically how much energy is used, and can communicate this information to another device which in turn allows the customer to view how much energy they are using and how much it is costing them. There are also simpler alternatives that require a little more manual work, like clip-on energy monitors for companies or homes that want to try monitoring their usage in real-time.
“You simply can’t manage what you don’t measure”
– Colin Simpson, Group Systems Manager at Fuller’s
Fuller’s Colin Simpson said: “With the rise in utility costs and a company commitment to help combat climate change, managing energy consumption has now become essential.” “The smart meters will provide us with the necessary information to help reduce energy overheads and reduce the company’s CO2 emissions. As an environmentally responsible company, it helps to provide the best possible products and services to our customers and all stakeholders involved.”
A timely implementation
This announcement comes just as a European Smart Metering Guide has been published by the European Smart Metering Alliance (ESMA). The guide brings together the lessons learnt from smart metering systems and trials focusing on the promotion of end use energy efficiency, and is intended to assist utilities, service providers and other groups considering and/or implementing smart metering (partly) for this purpose and to maximize the benefits arising from those implementations.