I was fortunate to attend this conference on the future of water recently at which the outgoing Chief Executive of Ofwat, Cathryn Ross, made the key note speech, in which she predicted that in the not so distant future consumers will be able to receive ALL utility and services around the home from just ONE multi faceted service provider.
Ms Ross went on to suggest that “combined” service providers would be acting on your behalf to obtain the best price package for you the customer, with multiple options available within the “bundle” which could include Water, Energy, Broadband, Telecoms, even home insurance and emergency services.
We at Groundbreaker are heartened by this refreshing breath of fresh air into the debate that things are as they are because that’s the way they have always been.
Clearly the ability to derive a signal from a smart meter to a recognised home hub, smart phone or whatever communication device is being used to collect data is essential, and we would like to think that within our Groundbreaker system we can offer that facility.
The concept is already proven in research by WRc and others that surface mounted meter boxes such as ours offer the best all round package for the home owner and Water Company alike, and is the stepping stone towards the multi-faceted utility and service package.