REM adopts UMI to help future-proof its smart meter technology
UK ‘smart meter’ technology company Remote Energy Monitoring Ltd has joined with other leading companies in licensing UMI® (Universal Metering Interface) technology from Cambridge Consultants. UMI® is an open standard for connecting smart metering communications and control modules within the meter.
By adopting this standard, REM is ensuring its metering products are ‘future-proofed’ as new communication modules provided either by REM or by other companies can be added to the REM modular meter either before deployment or when in use in consumers’ homes.
Nigel Rzemieniecki, REM’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our modular meter design is truly communication system agnostic. This gives our customers additional choice and protects them from technology obsolescence and technology change.”
Because the UMI® communications module is entirely separate from the Measuring Instruments Directive (MID)-approved measurement components of the meter, there is no need to have the meter re-approved when communication interfaces are changed.
UMI® has been developed by Cambridge Consultants and is now available as an open standard for adoption in smart metering products and communications modules.
NOTES TO EDITORS
-
Remote Energy Monitoring is a smart metering and data management company. It designs, develops and deploys complete end-to-end smart metering solutions which help its customers – the UK’s energy supply companies – to increase consumer retention, improve operational efficiency and develop brand reach, while reducing consumer churn and bad debt. Remote Energy Monitoring is a UK company, with unrivalled experience in deploying smart metering solutions. Its meter development centre is in Australia, systems are developed in the UK and meters are manufactured in China. For more information, visit www.remuk.co.uk.
- UMI® is designed to protect investment in metering installation by standardising the connection of smart metering communications and control modules inside the meter. These modules can be inserted when the meter is manufactured or when it is installed. Smart metering capabilities can then be upgraded during the operating life of the meter. The same meter platform can also be used across a number of countries with UMI modules added according to national legislation, business or market requirements. UMI® has been developed by Cambridge Consultants and is now available as an open standard for adoption in smart metering products and communications modules. For more information see www.cambridgeconsultants/umi or email alistair.morfey@cambridgeconsultants.com. UMI and the UMI logo are trademarks of Cambridge Consultants Limited, registered in the UK.
ES Pipelines: ES Pipelines supports Fuel Poverty Action Day (03/02/10)
ES Pipelines is supporting Fuel Poverty Awareness Day 2010 – a national campaign which aims to highlight the effects of living in a cold home on people’s health.
Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, run by National Energy Action (NEA) and sponsored by EDF Energy, takes place on 12th February and has received backing from high-profile health professional Dr Miriam Stoppard and the Government’s Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson.
Having just experienced the most severe winter in over 30 years, the campaign aims to draw attention to the health problems caused by living in a cold, damp home and urges vulnerable people to keep their heating on until winter ends and temperatures start to warm up.
Last winter temperatures remained as low as minus 6 degrees well into March, leading to concerns that people may have been risking their health by turning their heating off too early in order to save money on their fuel bills.
Nick Clark Development Director of ES Pipelines, said: “Living in a cold damp home can lead to extremely poor health, especially in those who are vulnerable such as older people, young children whose immune system has not yet fully developed and those with long terms sickness and disabilities.
“It is important that people know that there are schemes in place to help them, and to ensure they are keeping warm and healthy throughout the winter period and for as long as the cold weather lasts. Fuel Poverty Awareness day is about acknowledging the issues, helping people to understand the links between fuel poverty and poor health, and making them aware of the help that is available to ensure they are kept warm and well.
“The most important message is that there is help out there for vulnerable households. I urge everyone who is concerned about their fuel bill to contact their energy supplier or to call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 to access help and advice on staying warm when it is cold without the fear of fuel debt and ill health.”
REM: Savings of £100+ per annum for consumers are achievable
UK technology company Remote Energy Monitoring Ltd (REM) today welcomed the Government’s decision to introduce smart metering technology to UK homes and small businesses. It pointed out that choosing the latest technology could result in more rapid delivery of higher savings for consumers than the latest Government estimates.
John Roberts, Chairman of REM, said: “This is a major step forward and will enable better energy management in homes and businesses. REM has developed a smart meter that exceeds the industry’s requirements and offers a flexible and future-proofed solution for energy suppliers. Our system also provides the information intelligence technology to help consumers make the right decisions to save on energy costs.“
The company also welcomed the Government’s requirement that real time information is made available in a readily accessible form in addition to fixed in-home displays.
REM has developed a multi-channel access technology that allows users to select a channel of choice – TV, mobile phone or computer. In each case, consumers are provided with energy information intelligence in a meaningful and relevant way – for example daily usage balances sent by SMS to the consumer’s mobile each morning, exception reports based on user set energy budgets sent to the TV and, for the more sophisticated user, bill forecasting based on demographics and weather forecasts provided via the home computer.
REM believes its technology provides a fast track to annual average savings of circa £100, compared to the latest Government estimate of £28, and a much more rapid payback of the investment in smart meters.
The required level of investment is massive and to help protect this investment REM has developed a modular meter which allows communications modules for both the WAN and LAN to be interchanged. This future-proofed technology, in which REM believes it leads the world, will be of key importance over the next year while the details of the central communication hub are finalised.
ES Pipelines: Mortimer residents get financial incentives to switch (3/4/09)
Homeowners in the Berkshire village of Mortimer, near Reading, are being offered new incentives to convert to gas central heating.
Energy infrastructure provider ES Pipelines, which extended the national natural gas network to the village in 2005, has teamed up with eaga, the UK’s leading provider of residential energy efficiency solutions, to offer rebates on the cost of new gas central heating systems of up to £450. And those who have not yet made the connection can have a service laid for £400 – but this special price is only available until 1st May 2009.
Nick Clark of ES Pipelines said: “There has been a lot of media coverage about the costs of natural gas and electricity but, in truth, those homes that are connected to the national natural gas grid are the lucky ones.
“There are still many households around the country that don’t have the choice of heating their homes by natural gas and rely instead on more expensive fuels. Householders in Mortimer now have the choice and we believe this rebate will make the decision to switch to natural gas central heating an even easier one.”
Many Mortimer homes have already switched to natural gas for heating while many more have already had a gas service pipe laid to their property. Those who have a service pipe but no gas meter can have a meter installed for free.
