Press Releases

Clarity eliminates estimated utility bills with the introduction of smart metering

Clarity - an accredited Data collector for the half hourly electricity market since 2002 - is to introduce a smart metering service to the non half hourly electricity market, and for all gas and water supplies.

The meter readings collected by Clarity's new smart metering service will be sent directly to suppliers so that customer bills will be based on actual consumption and not guesswork.

Stark's smart meter products use SMS text messaging to deliver the data. Such wireless technology is both easy to install and robust in operation. It also has the added advantage that sending SMS text messages over existing public mobile networks is far less expensive then renting fixed phone lines and paying for PSTN or GSM call charges. The water and gas loggers are both battery powered, eliminating the need for mains connection.

Howard Stark, MD of Stark Software, which operates the new Clarity service said: “Our smart metering service brings affordable Automatic Meter Reading to the non half hourly electricity market, and to all gas and water supplies.”

“The average price being forecast for non half hourly electricity contracts renewing in 2006 is 9.0 pence per unit. At this price, reducing consumption at monthly billed sites by just 2 kWh per day will pay for the Clarity service. That includes metering, communications, monthly meter readings sent to the supplier and web access to day+1 half hourly data via our SavenergyOnline service. This makes Clarity a compelling business case.”

Apart from accurate bills, benefits of the new smart metering service include reduced accounting and administration costs as well as accurate closing and opening reads, making it far easier to change supplier.

It will also help to eliminate energy waste since, using Clarity's day+1 half hourly data, consumers can start to implement a proactive aM&T programme. The half hourly data has the added benefit that it enables electricity consumers to determine whether their sites are assigned to the correct profile class or not. Revising the profile class can lead to procuring energy at lower rates.

Notes to Editors

Stark is an Elexon accredited Half Hourly Data Collector and Data Aggregator, registered Non Half Hourly Data Retriever, and Ofgem registered Gas Meter Reader.

Established in 1981, Stark is a market leader and major innovator of integrated energy supply side solutions with a worldwide customer base of over 700 users. It provides complete energy information systems designed to help organisations save money and eliminate energy waste. Its range of products and services allow energy and procurement specialists to exercise total control over their utility costs and to leverage best value from all areas of the energy supply chain.

For further information please contact office@stark.co.uk.