One of the biggest trends among Water Utilities across the nation is the implementation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), which is designed to measure, collect, and analyze water usage and achieve total system monitoring through other devices and software. This comprehensive, state-of-the-art solution addresses the varied and unique challenges faced by Utilities, which must deliver high quality water safely and efficiently while also ensuring sustainable revenue, customer satisfaction, resource conservation, and cost-effectiveness.
AMI Systems by Itron address all these factors and more, touching on operations, billing, engineering, conservation, and more. They represent the cutting-edge in the industry, and can be tailored towards accommodating a Utility’s particular needs, objectives, and operational conditions. Such unmatched versatility and support is invaluable to Utilities at any time and place, especially amid mounting public and regulatory concerns about resource and revenue sustainability. The multitude of benefits to consider is as follows:
Cost Savings
One of the key functions and advantages of Itron AMI Systems is to automate meter reading and reporting, thereby eliminating the time and overhead needed for field readings. This is especially valuable to Utilities with difficult-to-reach meters. And by offering supreme accuracy and reliability – including the option for management and support services by Itron – AMI can provide savings without sacrificing accuracy and quality. Itron IT experts can free staff to concentrate on core operations rather than routine data collection, maintenance, and the like.
Improved Customer Service
Among the prevalent causes of customer complains is inaccurate read estimates and billing. Itron AMI system offer extremely high accuracy and read percentages, which subsequently reduces the costs of re-billing and customer dissatisfaction. This in turn translates into timelier customer payments and thus more reliable revenue. Thanks to time-stamped hourly readings, Utilities that use Itron AMI systems have the vital data needed to address customer questions, concerns, and disputes. The ability to deploy web-based applications means costumers can access a transparent, reliable, and helpful account of their water usage.
Efficient Conservation
High profile droughts have raised the issue of effective resource management, and have led to the introduction of water restriction that Utilities are tasked to adhere to. Most Utilities rely on field technicians to ensure compliance, or depend on customer reports of illegal usage. Itron AMI systems offer a vastly more efficient and cost-effective substitute; cutting-edge analytic software can monitor for violators by the hour, identify customers who are high users, or help enact proactive solutions for saving water. Moreover, Itron AMI empowers Utilities with the data needed to communicate the benefits and importance of conservation.
On their own, any one of these benefits can be of momentous importance to Utilities. Yet this list only scratches the surface of what Itron AMI systems have to offer. From its pioneering network and metering solutions, to its state-of-the-art services, Itron is the ideal partner for boosting the operational efficacy of any Utility. For more information, contact the Avanti Company, an industry leader in Flow Meter Products and metering solutions, at 800-284-5231 or info@avanticompany.com.