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In many parts of the world, the principle challenge facing Water Utilities is the ability to operate on a firm, financial basis. As most Utilities depend upon metering to control sales and their network, it is essential that the metering process is accurate, ensuring bills are accurate and regularly sent, resulting in the minimum of disputes and charges collected.
All this is vital to the financial income to the Water Utility.
Correct metering also plays a fundamental role in managing the assets of the Utility by providing real-time, accurate information on water losses, rather than relying on statistical techniques and assumptions.
Electronic, non-moving part water meters pave the way to achieve in this. SmartFlow™ on the other hand has radically changed electronic metering and is now capable of not only giving 100% accuracy but also, provides unparalleled performance and reliability.
SmartFlow™: Surely the only choice?
Download the SmartFlow™ PDF brochure (0.7MB)
Download the SmartFlow™ USA PDF brochure (0.5MB)
The following information compares leading electronic water meters against leading mechanical water meters. The precise differences will depend on the technology chosen but in general the following is considered to be a true representation of the facts.
| Feature | Mechanical | Electronic | SmartFlow™Electronic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accuracy affected by grit and sand etc | Yes | No | No |
| Accuracy affected by air | Yes | No | No |
| Air recorded as water flow | Yes | up to 25% air recorded as flow | No |
| Moving parts wear and fail | Yes | No | No |
| Poor low and high flow accuracy | Yes | No | No |
| Flow under recorded | Yes | No | No |
| Typical Accuracy | loses up to 25% over time | within OIML standards | within OIML standards |
| Reverse flow recorded | Yes | No | No |
| Typical warranty period | 1 years | 5 years | 10 years |
| Installation on one plane (horizontal) | Yes | Any plane | Any plane |
| Easily tampered with | Yes | No | No |
| Average replacement time | As little as 2 years | 5 to 10 years | 15 years |
| High head loss | Some models - yes | Some models - yes | No |
| Maintenance | Constant | No | No |
SmartFlow™ = Accuracy, reliability and performance: the only choice?
Download the SmartFlow™ PDF brochure (0.7MB)
Download the SmartFlow™ USA PDF brochure (0.5MB)
It is now widely recognised that the failings of mechanical meters are clear and undeniable.
Nevertheless, paper billing, monthly or any variation often disguises the true reality of the situation.
Loss from a Utility's and for that matter, a customer's point of view, only becomes evident when the meter permanently fails or is replaced prematurely.
However, all issues in a mechanical prepayment system are effectively highlighted immediately.
Prepayment water meter systems are essentially 'live', customer managed billing systems, which means the customer can monitor the failings of the meter.
In a mechanical prepayment system, air going through the meter immediately uses a substantial portion, if not all of the available credit. The electronic SmartMeter Prepayment™ system on the other hand, does not record air and thus does not bill the customer.
Because mechanical prepayment systems are highly susceptible to particulates, causing wear and tear, they destroy the credibility of the system, as the customer immediately loses confidence about the reliability.
Naturally, prepayment as an end-to-end system, results in a much greater investment than a meter on its own and therefore, any likely return on capital from a mechanical prepayment system becomes impossible. Mechanical prepayment therefore, is without question, an inaccurate, an unfair (air billing) and an unreliable system, which the customer realises instantly, resulting in customer complaints and total social reluctance of prepayment as a whole.
An electronic prepayment system is thus, the only prepayment system that should be used, as they do not record or bill for air and their accuracy ensures the customer always knows what they use. Maintenance is not required, as there are no moving parts which can fail.
Prepayment is either used as a billing assist system or an assured way of guaranteed revenue return. In either case, electronic prepayment is the only option, as all mechanical prepayment systems are simply NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE.
SmartMeter Prepayment™ and SmartFlow™: the only choice?
Download the Smartmeter Prepayment™ PDF brochure (0.5MB)
The benefits of Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) technology is entirely dependant upon the reliability and accuracy of the meter readings.
Without doubt, transfer of data can only provide true benefits to the Utility when the data received cannot be called into question.
In an effort to advertise the integrity of a mechanical meter's AMR ability, many manufacturers have simply added an electronic register to the mechanical meter itself.
Unfortunately, this process has no effect on the performance on the 'basic' mechanical moving parts mechanism. The AMR device that is then linked to the mechanical meter simply communicates/transfers the inaccurate information (data) from the poorly performing mechanical meter. On the other hand, true electronic meters have no moving parts and measure the flow of water by a form of non-mechanical means.
SmartFlow™ provides guaranteed accuracy and guaranteed transfer of data every time and is truly the only choice for AMR.
Download the SmartComms™ PDF brochure (0.8MB)
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