Because of the significant role AMR (Automatic Meter Reading) can play in league table performance, Power Efficiency anticipates that demand for services from AMR installation companies will outstrip the available supply in the lead up to the March 31, 2011 deadline.
According to Power Efficiency, for most companies covered by the scheme, the installation of AMR meters on electricity and gas supplies that do not have a mandatory requirement for half-hourly metering, can be extremely beneficial to their ranking in the public CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme league tables.
Voluntary installation of AMR on fiscal meters accounts for 50% of the league table ranking in the first year and then 20% and 10% in the following two years respectively.
John Field, director of carbon management at Power Efficiency, said: “AMR can drive cost savings and has a fast Return on Investment, as well as significantly affecting league table position, but March 2011 is closer than companies think given the task of getting AMR right.
“It is rarely a smooth process – taking time to assess estates, rationalize requirements for metering, calculate the right investments, and all this is before you actually get to installation and receiving meaningful information from the 17,520 readings a year that each meter produces.”
The consultancy said that if a company has a GBP2m annual energy cost – mostly from large half-hourly electrical supplies – but still has 10 non-half hourly meters in operation, putting AMR on those increases the allowances the company gets back for its entire usage. This could amount to the best part of GBP20,000 back through the government’s CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.
