Automatic meter reading, or AMR, is the technology of automatically collecting data from water meter or energy metering devices (water, gas, electric) and transferring that data to a central database for billing and/or analyzing. This saves employee trips, and means that billing can be based on actual consumption rather than on an estimate based on previous consumption, giving customers better control of their use of electric energy, gas usage, or water consumption.
AMR technologies include handheld, mobile and network technologies based on telephony platforms (wired and wireless), radio frequency (RF), or power line transmission.
Advanced Automatic Meter Reading
Originally AMR devices just collected meter readings electronically and matched them with accounts. As technology has advanced, additional data could then be captured, stored, and transmitted to the main computer, and often the metering devices could be controlled remotely. This can include events alarms such as tamper, leak detection, low battery, or reverse flow. Many AMR devices can also capture interval data, and log meter events. The logged data can be used to collect or control time of use or rate of use data that can be used for water or energy usage profiling, time of use billing, demand forecasting, Demand response, rate of flow recording, Leak detection, flow monitoring, water and energy conservation enforcement, remote shutoff, etc. Advanced Metering Infrastructure, or AMI is the new term coined to represent the networking technology of fixed network meter systems that go beyond AMR into remote utility management. The meters in an AMI system are often referred to as smart meters, since they often can use collected data based on programmed logic.
The Automatic Meter Reading Association (AMRA) endorses the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) resolution to eliminate regulatory barriers to the broad implementation of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). The resolution, passed in February 2007, acknowledged the role of AMI in supporting the implementation of dynamic pricing and the resulting benefits to consumers. The resolution further identified the value of AMI in achieving significant utility operational cost savings in the areas of outage management, revenue protection and asset management. The resolution also called for AMI business case analysis to identify cost-effective deployment strategies, endorsed timely cost recovery for prudently incurred AMI expenditures and made additional recommendations on rate making and tax treatment of such investments.
Benefits of Advanced Metering
Advanced Metering systems can provide benefits for utilities, retail providers and customers. Benefits will be recognized by the utilities with increased efficiencies, outage detection, tamper notification and reduced labor cost as a result of automating reads, connections and disconnects. Retail Providers will be able to offer new innovative products in addition to customizing packages for their customers. In addition, with the meter data being readily available, more flexible billing cycles would be available to their customers instead of following the standard utility read cycles. With timely usage information available to the customer, benefits will be seen through opportunities to manage their energy consumption and change from one REP to another with actual meter data.
The benefits of smart metering are clear and proven.
• Accurate meter reading, no more estimates
• Improved billing
• Accurate Profile Classes and Measurement Classes, true costs applied
• Improved Security for premises
• Energy Management through profile data graphs
• Less financial burden correcting mistakes
• Less accrued expenditure
• Less time chasing call centers to provide meter readings
• Transparency of “cost to read” metering
• Improved procurement power though more accurate data - “de-risking” price
Many companies are moving towards complete AMR solutions.
Notable Deployments
Construction practices, weather, and the need for information drive utilities in different parts of the world towards AMR at different rates. In the US, there have been significant fixed network deployments of both RF based and PLC based technologies. Some countries have either deployed or plan to deploy AMR systems throughout the entire country.
Australia AMI in Australia has grown from both government policy, seeking to rectify observed market inefficiencies and distribution businesses, seeking to gain operational efficiencies. Currently (July 2008), there is a mandated program being planned in Victoria with a planned deployment of 2.6 million meters over a 4 year period. The anticipated peak installation rate of AMI Meters is 5,000 per day across Victoria. The program governance is provided by an Industry Steering Committee.
Automatic Meter Reading in Bangladesh
The first private power distribution company “K.C.J & Associates Ltd.” implements automatic meter reading system to read their feeder meter, HT consumer meter & distribution transformer meter. There are around 72 HT consumers, 110 distribution transformer & 3 feeder meter of their feeder Khulshi H-01, Khulshi H-03 & Stadium H-05 of Khulshi sub station & stadium sub station. for collecting meter reading form various location they use Banglalink mobile operator's GSM SIM Card.
AMR technologies include handheld, mobile and network technologies based on telephony platforms (wired and wireless), radio frequency (RF), or power line transmission.
Advanced Automatic Meter Reading
Originally AMR devices just collected meter readings electronically and matched them with accounts. As technology has advanced, additional data could then be captured, stored, and transmitted to the main computer, and often the metering devices could be controlled remotely. This can include events alarms such as tamper, leak detection, low battery, or reverse flow. Many AMR devices can also capture interval data, and log meter events. The logged data can be used to collect or control time of use or rate of use data that can be used for water or energy usage profiling, time of use billing, demand forecasting, Demand response, rate of flow recording, Leak detection, flow monitoring, water and energy conservation enforcement, remote shutoff, etc. Advanced Metering Infrastructure, or AMI is the new term coined to represent the networking technology of fixed network meter systems that go beyond AMR into remote utility management. The meters in an AMI system are often referred to as smart meters, since they often can use collected data based on programmed logic.
The Automatic Meter Reading Association (AMRA) endorses the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) resolution to eliminate regulatory barriers to the broad implementation of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). The resolution, passed in February 2007, acknowledged the role of AMI in supporting the implementation of dynamic pricing and the resulting benefits to consumers. The resolution further identified the value of AMI in achieving significant utility operational cost savings in the areas of outage management, revenue protection and asset management. The resolution also called for AMI business case analysis to identify cost-effective deployment strategies, endorsed timely cost recovery for prudently incurred AMI expenditures and made additional recommendations on rate making and tax treatment of such investments.
Benefits of Advanced Metering
Advanced Metering systems can provide benefits for utilities, retail providers and customers. Benefits will be recognized by the utilities with increased efficiencies, outage detection, tamper notification and reduced labor cost as a result of automating reads, connections and disconnects. Retail Providers will be able to offer new innovative products in addition to customizing packages for their customers. In addition, with the meter data being readily available, more flexible billing cycles would be available to their customers instead of following the standard utility read cycles. With timely usage information available to the customer, benefits will be seen through opportunities to manage their energy consumption and change from one REP to another with actual meter data.
The benefits of smart metering are clear and proven.
• Accurate meter reading, no more estimates
• Improved billing
• Accurate Profile Classes and Measurement Classes, true costs applied
• Improved Security for premises
• Energy Management through profile data graphs
• Less financial burden correcting mistakes
• Less accrued expenditure
• Less time chasing call centers to provide meter readings
• Transparency of “cost to read” metering
• Improved procurement power though more accurate data - “de-risking” price
Many companies are moving towards complete AMR solutions.
Notable Deployments
Construction practices, weather, and the need for information drive utilities in different parts of the world towards AMR at different rates. In the US, there have been significant fixed network deployments of both RF based and PLC based technologies. Some countries have either deployed or plan to deploy AMR systems throughout the entire country.
Australia AMI in Australia has grown from both government policy, seeking to rectify observed market inefficiencies and distribution businesses, seeking to gain operational efficiencies. Currently (July 2008), there is a mandated program being planned in Victoria with a planned deployment of 2.6 million meters over a 4 year period. The anticipated peak installation rate of AMI Meters is 5,000 per day across Victoria. The program governance is provided by an Industry Steering Committee.
Automatic Meter Reading in Bangladesh
The first private power distribution company “K.C.J & Associates Ltd.” implements automatic meter reading system to read their feeder meter, HT consumer meter & distribution transformer meter. There are around 72 HT consumers, 110 distribution transformer & 3 feeder meter of their feeder Khulshi H-01, Khulshi H-03 & Stadium H-05 of Khulshi sub station & stadium sub station. for collecting meter reading form various location they use Banglalink mobile operator's GSM SIM Card.
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