The Situation:
The Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust – 150 meters across 4 sites needing to be read once a month. The meters are for several utilities (electric, gas, oil, water & steam) and comprise of a mixture of billing and sub meters. The data needs to be collected by several operatives based at different sites.
The Problem:
The existing approach involved writing down the reads and typing them into ad hoc spreadsheets.
“There were issues relating to slow data gathering, accuracy and no evidence of the readings. Readings for fiscal meters were not being passed onto utility suppliers to check AMR readings. Having researched the cost of installing smart metering for the sub meters, it soon became apparent that this approach was going to be cost-prohibitive.”
The Solution:
After becoming aware of Streamlined Energy’s low-cost app-based system, a brief free trial was setup. “Setting up the trial was really easy – the staff at Streamlined Energy really know what they’re doing and are incredibly supportive. They took our existing meter spreadsheets and imported them into their system – we didn’t have to do anything. We also managed to get this set up with energy management software (Systems Link)so all reads are automatically downloaded into it. ” – Thomas Store – Group Energy Manager at Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust
The app was downloaded and, after registration, the meters appeared on the device. QR codes for every meter were supplied which were then attached on or near the meters. The labels are scanned by the app to bring up the meter’s details and then a photo of the meter display is taken (all from within the app). Processing a meter literally takes seconds – just scan & snap. Once all the meters have been processed, the photos are uploaded to the cloud and then, within a few hours, the data is ready. There is no manual data entry required at all. All the reads are validated to ensure they’re within expected values.
Operatives at different sites were able to be setup so that they only see the meters at their own sites.
Results:
The benefits soon became apparent:
- Meter readers saved a lot of time and hassle
- No more inaccurate readings
- A photographic record of each reading
- Read data is linked with the energy management system for bill validation and analysis.
- All reads now stored in the cloud
The solution was rolled it out to all four of the trust’s sites and is now used for all 150 of the meters across those sites.
“We have used the Streamlined Energy app since 2021 and I can honestly say all our operatives love it because it makes their life easier. I love it as it eliminates meter reading mistakes and enables all our reads to be stored in one digital place without any hassle. It’s been an absolute hit on-site and I really think other estates could benefit from knowing more about this low-cost solution.” – Thomas Store – Group Energy Manager at Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust