Qonnectis' utility smart metering technology benefits Bedfordshire County Council

Bedfordshire County Council, is yet another example of a public sector body benefiting from the cost savings offered by Qonnectis' technology. Bedfordshire County Council ("Beds CC") has a strong commitment to the environment, and water conservation and energy efficiency are high on their agenda. Thorough monitoring and targeting is required to ensure water and energy consumption is managed proactively, which can present a challenge for a county with a population of almost 580,000, and numerous properties of various usage (i.e. schools, youth services, libraries and offices).

Four travellers' sites, which have transient seasonal occupancy, were of foremost concern to the Council's Senior Property Officer, John Gallo, as he recognised that water usage was disproportionate to the number of properties they held. The sites had problems with occasional vandalism and poor treatment of facilities, which indicated the possibility of several leaks.

The first level of response was to check the plumbing and any obvious visible leaks. The Property and Facilities Management Team carried out work over a period of several months to determine whether any facilities required immediate replacement.

After remedial works were carried out, water usage was still high, even during periods of low demand. Qonnectis was therefore asked to implement its web-based water detection initiative, collecting data remotely from the various sites' water meters and offering Beds CC the ability to analyse the data every 15 minutes. Having this information available meant that, as with Griffithstown, the team were able to see that water consumption was high even during the early hours of the morning.

Since the system was installed at the Potton site in June 2006, Beds CC has been able to prove that the meter installation was faulty and caused leaks. This has resulted in a successful rebate from the water company that covered the installation cost of the monitoring equipment.

The Council will be embarking upon a thorough investigation and subsequent repair programme, and the Qonnectis equipment will remain at all four sites to continue monitoring usage once the Potton leak has been repaired.