E.ON UK has selected Elster as its smart metering partner for the first phase of its dual fuel smart metering roll-out. E.ON will deploy up to 100,000 Elster smart meters in residential properties by the end of 2012, with up to 200,000 more being installed in 2013 under the terms of a two year contract.
The deployment includes one of Elster’s latest offerings, the next generation AS300P electricity smart meter with its modular communications hub, and the BK-G4E gas smart meter, to help E.ON meet its commitment to install one million smart meters across the UK by 2014.
Don Leiper, director of new business at E.ON, said, “We are committed to providing our customers with tools which put them in control of their energy. Our customers want more accurate bills, more innovative products and more control over their energy use. Smart meters give us the opportunity to provide this and we are working hard to ensure that our customers who wish to receive the early benefits of smart metering are able to do so.
“Our customers want smart meters and those who now have them are extremely pleased with the technology, in terms of putting them in control of their energy use and bringing an end to estimated bills. We selected Elster on the strength of its modular platform architecture and ability to include and support end to end security that ensures privacy of consumer data. Elster is providing us with flexible smart gas and electricity meters as we further roll-out an integrated solution to deliver the benefits of smart metering to our customers.”
Elster designed its BK-G4E and AS300P meters specifically to support tailored solutions for utilities working to comply with the European directive for smart gas and electricity metering. The meters are interoperable by design, meet the latest industry standards for data privacy and security and provide customers with up to date technology to protect against fraud and tampering.
“We are very pleased to be selected as E.ON’s smart metering partner, particularly for such a strategically important roll-out. The UK government’s foundation stage of the smart metering roll-out is gaining critical momentum and is vital to ensuring the UK meets the EU’s 2020 energy directive targets,” said Frank Hyldmar, executive vice president of Elster’s international electricity business.
The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has set out the overall strategy and timetable for the installation of 53 million smart meters in 30 million homes and businesses across the UK. The foundation stage, which runs through to the time when the Data and Communications Company (DCC) is delivered, and precedes the start of the formal mandate, will allow all participants – energy companies and suppliers, government, consumer groups and other interested bodies – to prepare their processes and systems, and begin to deploy meters to prove their readiness for the mass roll-out.
E.ON began installing smart meters in spring 2011 and has installed over 100,000 smart meters across the country so far. E.ON will install one million smart meters during the foundation period which runs until 2014.
