Help! How do I check if my heat meters are healthy?
14th November 2024Written by: Declan Liddle
Just like you'd visit the doctor for a yearly check-up, your heat network meters need regular ‘health’ checks to avoid any symptoms of malfunction. If you noticed a persistent cough or a fever, you wouldn’t ignore it—so don’t overlook your meters when they start showing warning signs. For busy managing agents, it’s tempting to let these checks slip, but neglecting your meter’s well-being can lead to some costly diagnoses down the line. In this guide, we’ll break down why checking your meter’s health is crucial and how to keep it in top shape.
Contents
Consequences of unhealthy meters
How to check your meter health
What is meter health?
To understand meter health, we first need to know what a heat meter is. A heat meter measures the amount of energy used. It does this by tracking the difference of the flow and return temperature of the water in a heating or cooling system. Within a heat network, they can measure the consumption of an entire building, where they are installed in the energy centre, or that of an individual shop or household, where they are linked to a heat interface unit (HIU). As they’re constantly on, heat meters are a great way to monitor the efficiency of your heat network.
Meter health refers to the performance and accuracy of these crucial devices. Just like an annual checkup with a GP ensures your body is functioning properly, a regular visit from a specialist engineer keeps your heat network operating smoothly. They can make sure your healthy meters track energy use with precision to prevent any symptoms of network inefficiencies and provide your residents with transparent and fair billing.
Consequences of unhealthy meters
If a body ache goes untreated, it can worsen over time, and the same is true for your faulty meters.
There are a few symptoms linked to unhealthy meters. The first one is inaccurate billing, which can lead to unhappy residents and financial stress. One development for which we are contracted as the metering & billing provider, relied on estimated readings with incoming bills far exceeding recoverable amounts from residents. This could have led to revenue loss, eroded trust, and the potential for disputes being escalated to the Energy Ombudsman. Catching these symptoms early, by monitoring meter health, larger problems like those were prevented.
After conducting a detailed meter health assessment, we were able to restore 70% of faulty meters within 12 months, improving billing accuracy from 33.8% to 73.5%. By focusing on repairs, recalibrating meters, and enhancing data accuracy, the development’s financial health was revitalised. A proactive approach keeps your meters in good condition, preventing future problems, and improving resident satisfaction.
How to check your meter health
Maintaining meter health involves routine checks to ensure everything is running as it should. Start by scheduling regular inspections to spot problems before they escalate. Pay particular attention to your energy usage data to spot any anomalies, or inconsistencies between consumption and billing.
Monitoring tools, such as VANTAGE, which is free to our clients, provide real-time heat meter and payment data, enabling you to catch and resolve any issues promptly. Regular monitoring like this will help keep your meters operating effectively.
Calibration tests are another essential tactic—these make sure your meters are accurate and compliant with industry standards. Check with your maintenance provider to review whether heat meter servicing, including these tests, are included in your annual HIU servicing contract.
Fig. 1: Clients of Insite Energy are able to see real-time heat meter and payment data from the VANTAGE dashboard.
How to fix unhealthy meters
When a meter isn’t performing optimally, swift intervention—whether through recalibration or repairs—can often restore it to full health. However, if your meters are aging or consistently underperforming, it may be time for a replacement.
In addition to these treatments, working with experts to analyse energy usage data is like getting a second opinion from a specialist. It allows you to diagnose inefficiencies and find the right treatment for your heat network.
You wouldn’t skip a health check, and similarly, you should proactively maintain your heat meters to prevent costly complications and guarantee accurate billing and regulatory compliance. Prioritising meter health is not merely a maintenance task; it’s a vital investment in the efficiency and reliability of your network. Give your meters the attention they deserve and watch your heat network thrive.