Square [1] Utilities installs a data logger which is attached to the customer’s water meter and collects consumption information from the water meter every fifteen minutes.
Once a day the data logger will transmit this data remotely (by SMS or GPRS) to our server. The data is then displayed as clear information in a comprehensive and user friendly format through our Utilities Manager software system which we have developed in-house over the last two years. The information and reports are accessible through a login system on our web-site which delivers three main benefits to our customers:
1. Initial Confirmation
Once the system is implemented we can view the detailed consumption levels for the customer. To date, we have found that 75% of all customer sites have some level of leakage initially. This equates to average annual losses of £14,400 per year for private sector customers.
Square [1] Utilities then provides survey, investigation and project management services to reduce the losses, achieving an average payback for customers to date of six months.
2. Management Reporting
The Utilities Manager software provides clear and comprehensive information in a user-friendly format with the following functions;
- Consumption can be displayed in terms of litres, cubic metres, £s and carbon
- There are comparison functions for the same site over different time periods or for different sites over the same time period
- Automatically generated weekly reports showing consumption, costs and losses in terms of cubic metres, £s and as percentage losses
In addition to the practical use of this data, the reports can be directly transferred into corporate social responsibility reporting on water consumption.
3. Daily Checking Service
Although all customers have access to their data through their unique log in details, we have recognised that customers often do not have the time or the expertise to monitor their water consumption regularly. Square [1] Utilities therefore provides the key service of checking every account every morning (365 days a year), and by doing so, we can identify immediately if any bursts or leaks have occurred and inform the customer.