Britain leads smart revolution with deployment of most advanced smart meter
20 Oct, 2017, 06:00 BST
- Landis+Gyr and British Gas achieve major milestone with first 'next generation' UK smart meter installation
- Using the latest technology, the smart meters enable seamless switching between suppliers
LONDON, Oct. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Landis+Gyr (LAND.SW), global provider of energy management solutions, today announces the introduction of the next generation of smart meters for electricity and gas. Building on its longstanding presence in the UK metering market, Landis+Gyr has worked with British Gas to launch the first of a new standard in smart technology. The first of the new model UK smart meters is now installed and live in a British Gas customer's home.
These smart meters, part of Landis+Gyr's UK smart metering family, are the first to comply with the Government's ground breaking smart energy standard, SMETS2 ('smart metering equipment technical specifications 2'). The first operational SMETS2 meter, installed in August at a semi-detached home in Surbiton, will be part of extensive consumer testing to inform the wider national roll-out of the meters from 2018.
SMETS2 smart meters will deliver a wide range of improvements, including:
- Interoperability – these devices enable seamless switching between energy suppliers by connecting with the Data Communications Company (DCC).
- High security – the new meters maintain and extend the highest standard of security for householder data.
- Renewable energy support - the new meters will facilitate the connection of all types of home renewable and microgeneration technology onto the grid, supporting a cleaner, greener UK.
At a national level, the new meters will form the cornerstone of an improved national energy infrastructure, more flexible, reliable and efficient than ever before. The highly detailed information they provide for the UK's electricity network operators will help to reduce the annual cost of supporting the country's power grid, and aid renewables integration. Critically, it will also enable the expansion of electric vehicles across the UK – a key part of UK Government's future transport strategy and a vital step in creating a clean-energy future.
Having chosen to locate its gas and electricity smart meter R&D facilities in the UK in order to best serve the highly advanced UK smart metering market, Landis+Gyr continues to support the UK tech industry and foster its growth. With the rapid expansion of smart meters across continental Europe, the cutting edge functionality of its SMETS2 devices is expected to be integrated into many of the company's solutions across Europe, exporting UK skills and expertise.
Several UK energy retailers including British Gas are beginning volume SMETS2 pilot programmes, utilizing the company's SMETS2 solution this autumn. Landis+Gyr expects to deliver more than 20 million smart gas and electricity meters for its UK customers as part of the nationwide rollout currently underway.
Stephen Cunningham, Senior Vice President, EMEA commented, "We are delighted to announce this important industry 'first' and to be able to bring this leading-edge technology to UK homes and businesses. We are very proud to have supported UK plc by carrying out all of the R&D for this landmark technology here in the UK."
Catherine O'Kelly, Industry Development Director at British Gas, said: "We're proud to be the first energy supplier in the UK to install a SMETS2 meter in a customer's home. It's a really important milestone for our programme, coming hot on the heels of our four millionth smart meter installation a few months ago."
About Landis+Gyr
Landis+Gyr is the leading global provider of integrated energy management solutions for the utility sector. Offering one of the broadest portfolios of products and services to address complex industry challenges, the company delivers comprehensive solutions for the foundation of a smarter grid, including smart metering, distribution network sensing and automation tools, load control, analytics and energy storage. Landis+Gyr operates in over 30 countries across five continents. With sales of approximately USD 1.7 billion, the company employs c. 6,000 people with the sole mission of helping the world manage energy better. More information is available at www.landisgyr.com.
Disclaimer
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About British Gas
British Gas is Britain's leading energy and services company, serving more than 10 million homes and over 400,000 businesses across the country. More than 8,000 highly-trained engineers guarantee the highest quality of service for our residential and business customers. We also provide a range of innovative offers and services including connected home Hive™ products, smart meters, and the online tradesman service, Local Heroes.
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