When Attie Van Jaarsveld started Livewire Engineering and Consulting back in 2006, he wanted to address a need for smart metering services. This technology allows utilities to access water, electricity or gas consumption data remotely without needing someone to physically visit the meter. In the 20 years he has served as the company’s CEO, he has seen the industry progress from simple manual systems to smart automated metering systems, especially in the public sector, where utilities management is at the crux of service delivery.
For many years, municipalities relied on manual meter readings or estimated monthly consumption. While this worked, it often resulted in inaccurate billing, delayed revenue collection and limited visibility into what was happening across the network. “In the work we’ve recently done for one municipality, we were able to recover about R300 million in the three and a half years since the smart system was implemented.”
This kind of saving was possible because of the improved accuracy of modern metering technology, says Van Jaarsveld. In the past, most customers had postpaid metering, where a meter recorded usage and the customer was then sent a monthly invoice for the amount of water or electricity consumed. “Because utilities had to physically read each meter, they would typically ‘guess’ your monthly consumption based on historical use. But these estimates weren’t always accurate,” he says, explaining that smart metering delivers greater visibility for utilities and consumers. Today, customers can view their usage in near real-time via an app and even see which tariff was applied.
Delivering true energy intelligence
Taking this a step further, the consumption data is also being used to improve infrastructure use as the country diversifies its electricity mix, he adds. “As more and more people make use of solar and battery energy storage systems, and with the introduction of wheeling, we can now look at what's the most efficient power for an industry or municipality and ensure that the best electricity is supplied based on usage load patterns. Additionally, we can utilise artificial intelligence (AI) technology to move to true energy intelligence.” This is currently happening via Livewire’s AI utility engine, which uses AI to generate insights and compile usage and trend reports. In a water network, this technology could be used to detect subtle consumption anomalies that may indicate, for example, a burst pipe.
Using data collected by the meters, a municipality could connect with the Deeds Office to more accurately identify a property's owner and, based on time of use, ensure that the correct tariffs are applied.
According to Van Jaarsveld, municipalities currently owe Eskom around R130 billion, which is heavily driven by poor billing systems. “The only way you collect what you are owed is by ensuring that you accurately measure what is being used, and the best way to do this is by using smart, digital platforms.”
Looking ahead at the next 20 years, the goal is to further enhance the platforms and applications that Livewire offers its customers and further incorporate AI into their work to make predictions and deliver real energy intelligence. “I may have done this for two decades, but I am still learning every day and am constantly trying to find new ways to optimise what we offer to our customers and clients.”
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