Up to 380 smart meters being installed at former Hallmark card factory

Midlands-based WilSon Energy, a leading provider of fully integrated Heating, Metering, Pre-Payment and Billing & Bureau Services for residential homes and commercial developments, has undertaken the first phase of a smart meter installation at a former factory in Bradford.

In phase one, WilSon Energy has been appointed to install 150 smart meters on a private electricity network, as part of a complete renovation of the one-time Hallmark card factory, which is undergoing a major refurbishment into 380 residential units, to be known as The Printworks.

The developers delivering the scheme were experiencing issues with a lack of transparency around metering information, billing details and were not able to access charging and consumption data for electrical energy usage. Many tenants had previously complained about incorrect bills, queried energy usage and the management team were finding it difficult to manage billing.

As well as installing the private energy network and smart meters, the firm will support the landlord with a complete meter monitoring, billing and bureau service and a customer excellence team.

Andy Wilkinson, CEO at WilSon Energy, said: “WilSon Energy stepped in to offer support and find a solution to the challenges the property developers were facing in 2022. By putting in a private electricity network with dedicated smart meters, which provides access to an online portal with real time data, we can put landlords and tenants in control of their energy supplies and help with invoicing.

“Our dedicated billing and bureau team is on hand to support landlords and property managers with data to inform decision making, while the smart meter and Pay as You Go system offers tenants multiple ways to pay and top up credit through a committed customer service team and resident portal.”

A spokesperson from the property management company added: “With the previous system, deployed by a former contractor, we were not receiving management data, had issues with incorrect billing and lack of control over the energy supplier. Residents were understandably unhappy about receiving incorrect or sporadic bills. With support from WilSon Energy we are in a position to roll out the latest technology to residents which will provide a myriad of benefits, including accurate readings and a more cost-effective solution for utility bill management, ultimately helping our tenants to monitor and manage their energy usage.”

The first phase of installation is now complete, with the remaining dwellings in phase two to be fitted in mid 2023 when rest of renovations are due for completion.

For more information about WilSon Energy’s private energy networks and smart metering services, visit: https://wilsonenergy.co.uk/