WWT ROUND TABLE 2009
Sponsored by
to smart metering in a £7 billion programme 40 per cent of energy used in the home is
“Is there any benefit in
– and they acknowledged the very involved in heating water. There is a huge
significant cost, but this has been hailed as win/win situation in terms of environmental
helping customers
something that, in the medium to long outcomes and a more sustainable
term, will be a good thing for customers. It approach, and cost reductions for understand how much
will enable a much more sophisticated householders, through recognising the link
interaction between the energy supplier and between water use and energy use, and a
energy is spent?”
the customer, and for the customer then to closer link between water utilities and
make more informed choices about when energy suppliers, through the support of the both of which are powerful pieces of data.
and how he or she uses energy within the government – the Energy Saving Trust are The customer might think: “Good heavens –
home. They will be able to see for now picking up on this. It seems to me that I’m using a lot here. I’d better do something
themselves how much they are using and there is a way of developing this more about it!”You do not need a smart meter to
what it costs. sustainable engagement, which is what we be able to do that. It will cost £5 billion to
Just imagine vendors having a parallel are looking for. do metering, but how much it would cost to
system for water in terms of smart metering, do smart metering is another issue.
with a more sophisticated interaction Tony Smith The question about smart We need to be careful about spending
between the supplying company and the meters is an interesting one. There is a more of the customer’s money, investing in
householder. Then perhaps, during a danger that water engineers, other the hope that smart meters would achieve
drought, with customers who might engineers and metering companies will all something. We need to be clear that there is
otherwise say that they are on a meter and say that smart meters are the way forward. I an added value there, and I think we could
pay for it, so they will use as much as they was in the energy sector before I came into do a great deal with just bog standard
want, you would have the opportunity to the water industry and 15 years ago they meters.
develop tariffs that would recognise that were trying to establish a cost case for doing
water was exceptionally scarce at that time smart metering in energy, where the bill is Dan McCarthy Just a point of clarification,
and charge accordingly. This would be to twice as much, if not three times as much you are talking about water and energy use
drive choices based on informed opinion. as a water bill. If it takes that long to do it in in the home and their link together. Is there
The second announcement came from energy, there is the question whether you any benefit in helping customers
the minister a week or so ago, making the can actually do it beneficially in water. understand how much energy is spent on
link between water use and energy use, The other point is that I do not think you the production and delivery of that water to
which I think is an under-exploited area in need smart meters to give customers more their house? They are not paying that
terms of customer engagement. It of the information they actually want. In directly. You are talking as though they are,
recognises that not just a significant amount some parts of Australia they do not have but do you think that would have any
of water used in the home is involved in hot smart meters, but they can tell customers impact on people’s understanding?
water uses – washing clothes, dishes, how much they have used compared to the
personal bathing and washing – but there is previous year, and how much they use Ian Barker The water industry is collectively
also a huge amount of energy used. About compared with an equivalent household – one of the biggest energy users in the
country, in terms of the energy costs of
pumping and treatment, for clean and dirty
water. However, that is less than one-fifth of
energy use associated with water in the
home. It is significant, and I know that the
industry is working hard to minimise its
overall carbon footprint, but it’s a much
lesser proportion of total greenhouse gas
emissions across the UK than energy uses
in the home. That is why I think that in
particular is a win/win situation.
Tony Conway Just on that link between
water use and energy, we have done some
studies with a pilot group looking at the use
of showers in the home. The use of water
for that purpose is a growing one. We have
developed low-flow shower heads – all very
pedestrian. These were trialled and they
really worked with customers because they
saw a reduction in energy bills. Price signals
and meter penetration are all important but
there needs to be some really pragmatic,
practical things to get on with. Some quick
Dan McCarthy: Point of clarification wins will send signals to customers,
18 Round Table June 2009
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