An increasing number of businesses are paying close attention to their utility bills and how they can make savings on gas, electricity, and water. There are many ways to reduce costs but the introduction of smart meters and automated meter readings has been the main driving force of these decreases in costs. In this article we’ll give you a quick overview of what AMR is and how it can help your business save money.
What Is Automatic Meter Reading?
Automatic Meter Reading is a remote reading device that can be attached to your existing water meter which helps collect data about your water consumption patterns. There are three different types of automatic meter reading.
There is an advanced meter which is a remote reading device connected to the meter, a data logger which is remote reading equipment provided by transporters on larger sites, and there is a gas embedded meter where the remote reading device is integral to the gas meter. All of this can be tracked through your online portal that will be given to you by your energy or water supplier.
Normally it will take no more than 1 hour to install the necessary device to your water meter – without any interruption for your business. Your energy or water supplier will send a technician to complete the installation and help you make the best use of the new device through the online AMR portal.
Benefits of AMR
One of the key benefits of having AMR is that you’ll be in complete control of your water consumption and can see at any time how much you are using for any given time period. This also allows your energy or water retailer to give your more accurate bills, rather than having to guesstimate how much you are using.
This makes it much easier to forecast costs and usage, making energy and water efficiency plans for the business and monitor usage over time. You can also set up alerts to notify key personnel of any unusual consumption, which could be a sign that you have a leak or that something is malfunctioning on the premises. By reacting quickly, you can prevent further issues that could prove costly and swiftly resolve issues.
Who Can Use Automatic Meter Reading?
AMR meters are most suited to larger businesses that either may benefit from having an AMR meter or are obligated to have one.
Smaller businesses may find that they can benefit from smart meters.
How Does Automatic Meter Reading Differ from Smart Meters?
AMRs and smart meters are similar, but they operate differently using different technologies. Smart meters will calculate how much energy that you are using, what this will cost you over time, and the per-hourly cost as you’re using it. They are only being used on domestic premises and some small businesses.
AMR are mostly used by larger or multi-site businesses which may benefit from the more detailed information available.
Overall, there are many benefits to using automatic meter reading and your business could save with amr so it’s definitely worth looking into it and whether that would be suitable for your company.
