PIPED SERVICES
How smart water meters are creating business advantage for developers
Construction builds face increasing costs, lower margins, and longer sales cycles. It’s why more developers are turning to technologies like smart water meters to add value to their projects. Matthew Ling, director of business development at Leep Utilities, explains
P
roperty construction and development costs have risen dramatically over the last few years and will continue to do so: forecasts predict a 14% rise in building costs between now and 2030. Meanwhile, the average time to sell a new build property has also risen, from 33 days in 2024 to 55 days in 2025, meaning it’s taking longer to turn builds into profit. It’s a difficult business environment, with developers always on the lookout for ways to reduce costs and speed up sales. And it’s why many are now looking to install smart water meters in their new developments. Also known as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), a smart meter does exactly as it says on the tin. It replaces a traditional ‘dumb’ water meter (that needs manual reading) with more advanced infrastructure that automatically and regularly transmits meter readings directly to the water company. However, the benefits of adopting AMI and smart metering go far beyond automated meter reading. We’re seeing developers gain significant benefits across the whole of the construction process, helping to redress increased build cost, reduced margins, and a difficult house-building market that’s currently being squeezed.
Reducing work site risks
Utility infrastructure is at constant risk during the build process, from heavy machinery, excavation work, and human error. When water pipes get damaged – and we see this happen regularly – the consequences can be severe on both timelines and budgets. With AMI, water readings are sent to the water company every half hour, making it possible for the supplier to see water usage in near real-time across the entire site – and as a result, to quickly detect unusual or excessive water consumption, for example, if construction equipment has damaged a pipe. Without smart metering, a burst pipe during construction can keep flowing undetected for days or weeks, causing substantial water loss, potential contamination issues, and incurring emergency repair costs. On top of this, developers are then faced with significant bills for water they didn’t know they were using. A recent example shows the power of the AMI system, when smart meters detected seven behind-the-meter leaks on the very first day of operation at a development site. These leaks would have stayed hidden with traditional metering, and could have cost thousands of pounds in wasted water, property damage, and complaints from future residents of the property. AMI also helps to keep workers safe by
removing the need for people to read meters
in inherently hazardous building sites. And simplifies life for everyone by reducing the number of appointments to be scheduled and visits to be planned.
Maximising site potential
Fitting more units onto a development site can dramatically increase a build’s return on investment, particularly in high-demand areas where land costs are high. With AMI, developers can get the most from network capacity through sophisticated water balancing techniques. This data-driven approach can support planning for higher density developments on constrained sites, unlocking additional revenue potential. It’s miles away from traditional planning approaches that are based on conservative estimates of water demand and can result in overbuilding on infrastructure that isn’t required, or artificial limits on development density.
Combatting rising infrastructure costs
Recent Ofwat changes have replaced water company connection rebates with environmental components that reduce the connection fees for developments that can demonstrate lower per-capita water consumption through design and technology. AMI systems provide the robust usage data necessary to negotiate these reductions for individual properties. But by demonstrating efficient water usage patterns across completed developments, it becomes easier for developers to secure lower infrastructure charges for future phases or projects.
Shortening time to sale
Today’s homebuyers increasingly value environmental responsibility and cost control, and properties equipped with smart water metering offer them both.
AMI technology enables water companies to offer more customer-friendly billing approaches. At Leep, for example, as well as offering traditional billing based on estimated usage, we’re looking into offering monthly direct debit billing based on actual usage. We believe this approach improves
affordability by enabling residents to spread costs more evenly and budget more effectively – particularly important given the current cost- of-living crisis. Properties equipped with smart water meters
are less likely to experience water-related complaints, contributing to stronger developer
32 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER OCTOBER 2025
reputations and improved sales prospects for future projects.
Increasing sustainability
Water scarcity is becoming an increasingly critical issue, with many major metropolitan areas of the UK now classified as water-stressed regions, according to the Environment Agency. As environmental regulations tighten and water continues to become an increasingly precious resource, developments that can demonstrate compliance with emerging water efficiency standards will have clear advantages in planning applications and buyer appeal.
Uncovering the benefits of smart metering for developers
AMI and smart metering give developers a real opportunity to optimise developments of any size. From protecting construction budgets and maximising property density, to enhancing customer satisfaction and future-proofing properties, AMI technology offers compelling advantages for developers willing to embrace innovation. While we are working with forward-thinking developers who have begun adopting AMI in their projects, widespread use remains limited – seemingly due to a lack of awareness rather than cost or complexity concerns. At Leep, we are now installing AMI as standard
across all new developments, recognising the technology’s benefits for network management, customer service, and regulatory compliance. It gives developers access to advanced capabilities without additional cost or complexity. With property development increasingly costly and customer sales increasingly competitive, technologies like smart metering – that deliver measurable benefits across multiple dimensions – will become key to success. The question isn’t whether AMI will become ubiquitous on property developments, but whether developers will regret not choosing to adopt it earlier.
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50
