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Tuesday
12th August 2008
Major brewer Fuller's has decided to install smart energy meters in 160 of its
managed pubs in a bid to reduce energy consumption.
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Smart
meters like this have the ability to record and relay usage information in
real-time. |
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
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- 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."
"You simply can’t manage what you don’t measure,"
"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.
To read about how your business can implement a smart metering program
with minimum cost and hassle, visit our page on
Smart metering for small businesses.
For savings on your Business
Energy see our
Business
Electricity and
Business Gas pages. |
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