5 Common Challenges When Fitting Smart Meters

In a previous blog post, we looked at the government’s targets for introducing smart meters to UK households. The aim is to provide a smart meter to every home that wants one by 2020, which will clearly involve a huge amount of planning on the part of the installation companies. But costs can quickly start to spiral out of control. If you’re a house builder, smart meter supplier or energy company on the lookout for better ways to minimise installation delays and disruptions, you need cost-effective solutions.

We’ve identified five common issues centred around the subject of smart meter installation, as follows:

1. Existing customers switching to smart meters
   Switching to a smart meter means that the energy customer has to take a day off work and arrange to be at home for the engineer’s visit. Any delays to the supply of smart meters will result in the customer having to take further time off work, which is bound to lead to resentment and a loss of goodwill.
2. New build homes
   New build developments are constrained by strict time schedules. Therefore, a late consignment of smart meters throws timelines completely out of kilter, resulting in wasted time and resources. And, as every house builder knows only too well, time is money!
3. Project management
   Field engineers working for energy companies travel across the country to install smart meters. As their time is closely monitored, delays in supplying the necessary meters can quickly lead to problems. This causes further delays down the line, disrupting carefully planned schedules.
4. Supply chain delays
   Smart meters need to be available on the day of installation to ensure that deadlines are adhered to. The late delivery of smart meters pushes up costs for everyone concerned, as work has to be rescheduled at short notice.
5. Small housing developments
   Smaller housing developments, including the increasingly popular sustainable and eco-housing markets, also require smart meters. Once again, delays in the delivery process can completely disrupt carefully calculated timetables, adding extra costs to an already tight budget.

To ensure that housing developers, energy companies and suppliers can keep their customers happy, it’s essential to make sure that smart meters are available at the precise time and date of their installation. Any delay pushes costs higher, as workers are left unable to complete their day’s tasks, causing yet more delays further down the line. And of course, delays could cost companies even more money in the long-term, due to the loss of goodwill from disgruntled customers.

Our In Boot delivery service will ensure that your smart meters are delivered directly to the boot of your field engineers’ vehicles before they start work for the day. There’s no fuss and no waiting around. Your field engineers can set out knowing they have everything they need to fulfil their work schedule.

Please contact us to find out how we can help your company avoid needless delays by ensuring your parts are with you whenever you need them.