Intelligent Metering offers a future solution

Intelligent Metering provides a two-way communication facility between the meter direct to the utility company and in South Africa’s case this would be our Municipality.

What it does is it communicates and provides on-demand information and control to the Municipality. The Intelligent Metering system reduces the need for-and cost of-field or network operators as the information is communicated directly to the utility company.

This allows for better analysis by the utility company. By looking at the data from your Intelligent Metering system,  that the company can now access at any time, these companies can understand consumption, identify theft, manage demand and identify outages in a near real time.

For the first time, basic information is available directly from the source.

It uses this two-way communication facility to create other industry infrastructure to help manage and improve our utility usage.

Smart Meter, the wiser choice

What is a Smart Meter?

This meter is a new kind of energy meter that shall replace your existing one. With its two-way communication system, it automatically sends electronic meter readings to the energy supplier-in South Africa’s case, the Municipality.

This eliminates the need for someone to physically take your meter reading.

Why choose a Smart Meter?

No longer will you receive an estimated utility bill at the end of each month. Smart meters have an accurate meter reading and so an exact summary of your water consumption will be received as opposed to a previously estimated one.

Your water meter now lets you see how much water you are using at different times of the day, month or year. This feature allows you to examine your water usage and see where you could be more energy efficient.

Although Smart Meters are an initial expensive technology, the life cycle cost is far less than that of your conventional water meter.

Benefits of Prepaid Water Meters

What is a Prepaid Water Meter?

Basically, your Prepaid Water Meter works like a prepaid phone. You determine the amount you wish to spend per month on water.

With this device, a meter is installed and programmed to dispense your pre-agreed and determined amount of water each day. If the daily limit is reached, the flow of water stops until the next day when the daily allowance is once again available.

Unused water allocations are carried over to the next day, but have to be used before the end of the month as it is not carried over monthly.

What you are paying for in terms of your water quality is exactly the same as before and the price that you pay for water with your Prepaid Water meter is the same of per Municipality rates.

What benefits do I gain when changing over?

• Water in South Africa is very scarce, therefore very expensive. With a prepaid water meter you are forced to watch how much you spend and use, because the more you use, the more you will be spending.
• Here you have the power to control your water usage, allowing you to pre-determine and budget your expenditure monthly.
• You avoid unexpected water cut-offs as you pay for your water up-front.
• There is less administration involved.
• You avoid hassles such as leakages, faulty meters and misreadings on your meters that would normally lead to high water bills each month.
• Access to your free 6000 litres per month is guaranteed.

Domestic Water Meters

Millions of Domestic Water Meters are used around South Africa and every day new water meters are installed or old ones replaced.

Water meters are used to measure the volumes of water that passes through the specified meter and sold to us as consumers. (This reaches us in the form of a water bill, unless a Prepaid water meter is used)

There four basic components that all of our water meters include:

• A device to detect the flow of water passing through the meter.
• A device that transmits the signal detected by the actual sensor to the other parts of the meter
• A device to keep track of the flow of water that has passed through the meter
• A device that communicates the readings to the meter reader.

Domestic Water Meters can either Conventional or Pre-Paid. Let’s review the two:

Conventional vs. Pre-paid

Conventional metering consists of installing a water meter for the consumer and setting up its connection to send monthly water bills based on the actual consumption that you have used for the month.

Pre-paid meters require you to purchase in advance your water for the month and you choose exactly how much you wish to spend.

Water Meter Manufacturers, we are Hibred International

Hibred International is a water management and instrumentation company that manufacturers world class innovative products for the African Markets.

The founders have more than 20 years experience in the plumbing supply and water management industry, including consulting and the distribution of products. Hibred International developed its own products by focusing on customer’s needs and requirements and in 2009 started local manufacturing in support of government’s drive to create jobs.

Products are complementary and are often tailored to customer’s requirements. This is what they offer:

• Domestic Water Meters (Brass or Plastic)
• Bulk Water Meters
• Water Demand Management Devices
• Water Meter Boxes (above ground or surface mounted)
• Water Hibred International are also suppliers of Tiger branded tailpieces and couplings

Hibred International ensures quality products using only the best raw material grades to exceed regular specifications.

These Water Meter manufacturers exceed the required working pressure of 24bars to 50bars and their products are rigorously tested in their contracted lab to ensure the highest level of quality.

With their combination of evolving technologies, affordability for the end-user and ease of use, they are the first choice in water meter manufactures.

Prepaid water meters

Prepaid water meters are installed for cost recovery purposes and to manage and control water consumption. Although any household can install a prepaid water meter, projects are aimed at low-income communities where cost recovery is a major concern.

In South Africa households are entitled to 6 kilolitres of free water per month. The implementation of this legislation is causing enormous challenges to local authorities and service providers. Prepaid water meters might be the answer to the problem as they allow households their free monthly allowance of 6000 litres of water before shutting the water supply off automatically. Any additional water required has to be paid for.

Our prepaid water meters are installed to avoid cut-offs as a penalizing measure for non-payment and the problems associated with cut-offs. A household with a prepaid water meter cannot access water without paying for it upfront. The responsibility for securing access to water is thus transferred from the local authority or service provider to the customer.

Objectives of prepaid water meters:

• Teaching consumers discipline when consuming and conserving water
• Teaching consumers techniques of restraint and self-regulation
• Establishing a culture of paying for water services
• Improving the management of water and changing consumers’ attitude towards managed water supply
• Improving the administration of free basic water

Water Management Device, taking responsibility for water usage

Making use of a water management device in households is becoming more and more popular. Projects for installing water management devices are initiated where there is an increase in water demand as a result of population growth, new developments, water shortages and economic growth. The sole purpose of a water management device is to control and manage water use.

The device is a meter that replaces the existing water meter and is programmed to dispense a pre-agreed amount of water each day. It dispenses from 10 to 50 000 litres per day, at full pressure. Once the pre-agreed daily water allocation has been used the flow of water stops until the next day when the daily water allowance becomes available again. The agreed amount of water is determined according to the daily amount of water a household needs and can afford.

If the daily water allowance is not used the remainder is carried over to the next day. This encourages consumers to analyse and monitor their daily water usage and to avoid unnecessary water wastage. Normally unused allocations of water are not carried over to the next month, but it depends on the service provider.

Benefits to the consumer:

• Effortless budgeting for water expenses as daily and monthly consumption is established and daily water allowance is pre-agreed
• No over expenditure on water budgets or overuse of water sources
• Unused daily allowances are usually carried over to the next day enabling consumers to plan ahead if more water will be needed on a certain day
• Creating a habit of responsible water use and appreciation of the importance of water
• No unpleasant water bill surprises

Benefits to the service provider:

• None of the usual problems with conventional water billing systems such as water reading discrepancies
• Accurate water consumption figures enables the balancing of water usage in various zones
• Can easily be integrated in most existing utility and municipal billing systems

A water management device is ideal for households, but can also be used by small commercial consumers. These devices are cost effective, intelligent, easy to install and offer numerous benefits to both consumers and service providers.