Two Scottish companies are to play a leading role in the delivery of smart energy meters to thousands of businesses supplied by British Gas.
Livingston-based Energy Assets Group (EAG) and Smart Metering Systems (SMS) of Glasgow have both signed new strategic agreements with the utility to install advanced meters across British Gas Business supplied properties.
EAG said the agreement it had reached would see it service around 50% of BGB’s industrial and commercial (I&C) customer base.
The firm said the BGB meters would have a 20-year contracted lifespan, and their roll-out provided an opportunity for significant future growth to its long-term recurring revenue portfolio.
SMS said its new contract to install and maintain around 50% of BGB’s portfolio of gas meter points would see it replace BGB’s existing diaphragm and pulse output gas meters with new Elster units featuring integrated data communications systems.
The firm said the roll-out of the new equipment was expected to be completed within three years and, once installed, the meters would form part of its long-term index-linked contracts.
EAG chief executive Phil Bellamy-Lee said securing the BGB contract was a major milestone for the firm, which has spent the past two years building a skilled in-house engineering team and bedding in a new central UK operational hub to support existing customers and the delivery of new projects.
He said: “This is a significant step in the achievement of the Energy Assets growth strategy and is testament to the relationships we have developed with both BGB and Elster.”
Alan Foy, chief executive of AIM-listed SMS, said: “The signing of this contract is another step towards our ambition to become market leader in the independent ownership of I&C meters and in the provision of automated meter-reading solutions for our customers.”
Matt Idle, director of customer operations, British Gas, said he was delighted that both EAG and SMS were on board for the next stage of the smart meter roll-out, and said the devices helped businesses and household control their overall energy consumption and costs.
“Since 2008 we have made significant efforts to ensure that all of our customers could benefit from advanced metering, and this agreement is the next step in this journey,” Mr Idle said.