We provide water retail services to Sunderland University, a key higher education provider, through The Energy Consortium’s (TEC) Framework. The university needs a water retailer they can trust, who can deliver excellent service, detailed reporting and help them monitor their water consumption.
Investing in water efficiency
After being keen to understand more about how and where they use water to help with their budgeting and contribute to their financial reporting, Sunderland University was able to secure funding to invest in Automatic Meter Readers (AMRs). AMRs provide regular data and instantly helped the university spot times of the day where they weren’t expecting to be using water, which were investigated immediately. Reads from Wave’s AMRs are also automatically uploaded directly into our billing system, making sure bills are a true reflection of their usage.
So far, we’ve installed 37 AMRs on the premises altogether, and the university hasn’t looked back. After seeing the benefits immediately, they contacted us to see if they could also get AMRs for the meters in their student accommodation. And, despite being classed as household meters, Wave was able to get their Wholesaler onboard.
The value of data collection services
The university proactively monitors their water consumption and view our AMRs as an invaluable tool for water efficiency. As a result of the AMR roll out across the student accommodation, they immediately identified a large leak at one of the student halls of residence, which could’ve easily gone unnoticed. With the support of Wave, they’ve also applied for a leakage allowance on this household site through their Wholesaler, to recover some of the costs.
The university will also utilise the data from the AMRs to improve their reporting, track consumption and help with budgeting costs. This will not only help them to be more sustainable but will keep their bills accurate and ensure they avoid unnecessary charges too.
Keith Slater, Energy Manager for Sunderland University, said: “I have been very impressed with the service provided by Wave regarding the roll out of AMR at our sites. As Wave manage the process for us from start to finish, we haven't had to deal with contractors ourselves. The whole process has been simple and stress free. The AMR itself is an invaluable tool which we use daily.
“The AMR Coordinator has delivered exceptional customer service by being on hand to deal with any of our questions, keeping us updated throughout the process and ensuring the roll out of our AMR units was delivered speedily. We received a one-to-one demonstration of the system which means we have been fully able to understand how to get the best out of Watercore. Already we have found water use where we shouldn’t and use the functionality to help with all manner of reporting. As well as that, the reads feed into our billing so we can be sure of accurate charges each month.”
Claire Bisset, Public Sector Account Manager for Wave, said: “I’ve loved how Sunderland University have embraced AMR and all the positive value monitoring water consumption can bring, such as cost and use reduction and being immediately on top of any spikes in use.
"I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them to hear the findings of having AMR applied to the sub meters next."
Future plans
The universities’ plans don’t stop there. Their next project will be to fit AMRs to their internal sub meters as some of their buildings are large enough that it would be a challenge to identify the exact location of an issue. But, with the data provided, the university would be able to investigate thoroughly and pinpoint any potential leaks or opportunities for savings.
Find out more about how we help our public sector customers.
