MONITORING & METERING
THINKING DOWN THE ROAD: Making metering work for end users
AndyWilkinson, director at WilSon Energy, a leading provider of integrated heating,metering, prepayment and
billing services, talks about the benefits of wirelessmetering and why propertymanagers, residents and the regulator will appreciate foresight in new build and refurb projects
WilSon Energy was
commissioned to overhaul the metering system at a high spec residential development in Bath
to go door to door to collect meter readings. This led to issues with access, lack of accurate billing and no way to resolve any queries regarding energy consumption for tenants and occupiers.
A WIRELESS SOLUTION After completing a full audit, our engineers found the meters were low cost, with a single output that would not accept interchangeable modules. Our solution was to replace all the heat meters
M
eans of monitoring, metering and billing
often get overlooked or are incorrectly specified during construction and refurbishment of residential developments. This lack of consideration at the design stage can leave property managers with no simple way to manage and recover energy costs, and residents with inaccurate or inflated utility bills. Often, the original
developer or appointed M&E consultant designs the project, specifying the equipment without considering the future management of the property. Things like ‘How will utilities data be collected from the meters?’, ‘How can energy performance be monitored?’, ‘How will energy usage be attributed to each dwelling?’, and ‘How will bills be issued and any queries resolved?’ are overlooked.
SIGNED OFF, SEALED AND SILOED We were recently commissioned to overhaul the metering system at a high spec residential development in Bath. After all the properties were completed, sealed and tenanted, a property management company took it over to manage the building and associated billing. We quickly discovered that each property had a
Heat Interface Unit (HIU) and a hard-wired energy meter with anMbus output that wasn’t connected to anything. No cable network or any data logging devices had been installed, so the only option was
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Wired meter system with no connection
with wireless MBus connectivity, enabling remote data monitoring and the option to bring the data back to our server for network analysis and billing management. For the property company, this
removed the need for manual meter readings and accessing the individual properties. Remote data monitoring now provides half hourly updates on usage, ensuring they can recover energy costs more successfully, as well as monitor and maintain the efficiency of the heating system and deliver accurate billing for residents.
WHY WIRELESS WORKS FOR METERING Generally, following a detailed site survey, wireless metering solutions can be easily fitted into new build and retrofit properties for multi-utility metering and
heat network metering requirements. Individual meters in each dwelling or communal
area talk to a central data concentrator device, wirelessly, providing details about energy usage and system performance. Wireless metering works particularly well in
retrofit and refurbishment projects, where buildings are complete and sealed, as cabling is not required. In new builds there is the opportunity to put a
wired communication backbone in. However, if cabling is required in an existing building, rewiring can result in significant upheaval and disruption to residents and property companies. This includes access issues and significant costs to install and make good where works have been completed and caused damage to walls and brickwork.
MANAGEMENT THROUGH MONITORING Wirelessmetering also enables remote diagnostics, giving options for analysis and performance monitoring to support preventive and routine
ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS - Autumn 2025
Installation and commissioning of a wireless meter
maintenance. For example, by pluggingmetering data into our analytical software, we can assess multiple parameters fromthe energymeter to see how well the system is performing and pinpoint inefficient areas. This could be poorly performing HIUs or other common issues, such as bypass valves being left open, all while monitoring overall performance of the heat network.
ON THE ROAD TO REGULATION Compliance is another key consideration. Currently, where used for RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) applications, heat meters must be recalibrated or replaced after 10 years of operation. We expect that when the anticipated Ofgem heat network, metering and billing regulations are launched, this is likely to become a requirement for all residential developments. A wireless solution offers the most cost
effective and efficient answer as it enables a quick and easy exchange or fit, lower installation costs, fast commissioning, and all the benefits of remote monitoring and diagnostics for ongoing maintenance and management.
THINKING AHEAD It’s about thinking ahead to when the property is in use and specifying a system suitable for billing, monitoring and management. That’s why we offer a full end to end solution and
like to work with design teams right at the concept or design stage to help specify the rightmetering, data collection and billing/pre-pay solutions within a heat network project, making them fit for all stakeholders, including the end user.
WilSon Energy
https://wilsonenergy.co.uk/
www.essmag.co.uk
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