- CEO, Jens Bastrup, from Skanderborg Utility.
Smart metering advances Skanderborg Utility's modernization goals
Increased bottomline with Kamstrup meters
Skanderborg Utility, the municipal water supplier and wastewater management company in central Denmark, has an ambitious vision: To be the country’s most modern water company by 2017.
In order to achieve this goal, they had to develop new processes to improve their day-to-day efficiency, while supporting this strategic vision. Additionally, the utility wanted to increase their focus on ensuring the best customer service. A natural first step in this process was investing in intelligent water meters from Kamstrup.
Cost-benefit analysis shows considerable cost reduction
Ahead of this decision, Skanderborg Utility carried out an in-depth cost-benefit analysis of water metering solutions. They compared mechanical meters to intelligent, static meters. As with any meter replacement, the installation costs are the same regardless of the type of meter.
The main difference in costs between the two meters lies in the initial purchase cost and operating costs. While static meters have a higher initial cost, they provide significant savings in operational costs. And since the operational costs recur every year, the intelligent meters will prove to be a better long-term investment for the company.
“Despite a higher price per water meter, we save money in the long run,” says Jens Bastrup, CEO of Skanderborg Utility. “The savings are primarily obtained through collection of data and a longer life span of the water meter, which in turn reduces the cost of replacing the meters.”
"Real-time data collection provides a clearer picture of the water consumption. This allows us to optimize the supply and reduce the energy consumption and, as a result, also the CO2 emission. In total, we have been able to reduce the energy consumption by 15 percent at our largest water utility. On a nationwide scale, the total energy savings equal a medium-sized Danish city such as Skive,"
Drawbacks of traditional water meters
Previously, Skanderborg Utility relied on customers submitting their data correctly and on time. This left a lot of room for accidental errors and data omissions. Additionally, the previous method of data collection did not provide the required information on water consumption and waste necessary to evaluate and optimize operational efficiency.Data transparency with remote meter reading
Data from the intelligent flowIQ® water meters are collected via drive-by technology. This provides the company with several benefits. They no longer rely on the consumer to properly read the meter, or disturb them to obtain consumption data. When Skanderborg Utility wants to collect meter data, they simply drive by the house where the meter is located.
The data is then automatically collected and transferred to their billing software.
This solution provides the company with a significant saving in both time and money. In addition, the data collected is more detailed than what the consumer could ever deliver. It includes information about leaks and bursts as well as highest and lowest flow rates, helping Skanderborg Utility understand the water consumption and habits and thus be able to prepare for the future.
“Smart metering helps us with one of our focus areas: Customer satisfaction. We can help our customers identify leaks, to help them reduce their water consumption and save money,” says Bastrup.
Together with Kamstrup, Skanderborg Utility studied how they could maximize the use of data collected via smart metering – both in terms of customer satisfaction and improved performance. The solution resulted in benefits for Skanderborg Utility, the consumers and the environment.
“We can help our customers identify leakages to help them reduce their water usage and save money”
Fact box
Customer: Skanderborg UtilityMetering points: 6,000
Solution: flowIQ® 2100