Image: Netmore Group
British water company Severn Trent has selected IoT operator Netmore Group to lead the deployment and management of its rollout of one million smart water meters.
Under the contract, which has an initial term of three years, Netmore will deploy and manage a dual LoRaWAN and NB-IoT network and lead a group of suppliers to deliver the water meters.
Data delivered daily to Severn Trent is expected to improve customer awareness of water usage, reduce leakage and help plan water supplies more accurately for the future.
Anthony Hickinbottom, Smart Metering Networks Lead at Severn Trent, says that Netmore was selected following a rigorous evaluation process to advance its AMI initiatives.
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“Netmore’s experience in supplying carrier-grade network connectivity and reliably delivering smart meter data will help Severn Trent monitor water consumption more accurately, identify leaks faster, and reduce and operational carbon emissions in line with our stated goals.”
The one million smart meters are due to be installed across more than 20 counties extending across the Midlands, from the outskirts of Sheffield down to Bristol, and into north and mid-Wales by 2030.
Itron and Diehl have been selected as the LoRaWAN meter providers for the programme and Vodafone IoT has been selected to provide connectivity services for the NB-IoT meters.
The Netmore Connect platform will be utilised for all network and device management and data delivery to Severn Trent’s meter data management system.
Specific goals of the programme include a 16% reduction in household water leakage by 2030 and a 7% reduction in household water use and 3.5% reduction in business use by 2030 compared to the respective 2024–25 baselines.
It is also planned to help customers better understand consumption patterns, reduce bills and promote water-saving behaviours.
The contract on behalf of Severn Trent and sister company Hafren Dyfrdwy had an estimated value of £200 million at tender in September 2024 and is subject to Ofwat’s final determination.
The meters will be installed by infrastructure service provider Network Plus Services under the management of Severn Trent.
Netmore reports that as of the latest project deployments, its LoRaWAN network will cover 43 out of GB’s 92 counties, reaching over 51 million people, which represents nearly 77% of the population.
In addition to Severn Trent, other smart metering projects are under way with Yorkshire Water, Affinity Water and South West Water.
