Notting Hill Genesis cures metering headaches with wireless KURVE

Wireless KURVE is set to resolve these issues, achieving 100%-meter connectivity, meaning residents are now billed accurately and transparently for the heating & hot water they use. They can also easily view their energy consumption data, top-up, and manage their energy account via any internet-connected device using the well-established and award winning KURVE PAYG web-app. 

Laura Coleman, Heat Network Operations Manager at NHG, remarked, “Insite Energy has been a fantastic partner in helping us ensure our portfolio is compliant ahead of regulation. Their proactive approach and willingness to offer practical solutions have been invaluable. Wireless KURVE is a standout product, which we’ve already installed across eleven schemes, with seven more in progress. The transferable protocol hardware gives us flexibility in procurement and installation, and the set-up allows us to choose between PAYG and credit billing. Where PAYG is activated, the KURVE web-app empowers residents to monitor their energy usage and spending directly from their smartphones. It’s a clever, user-friendly solution that supports both operational efficiency and customer engagement - a real win for Notting Hill Genesis and our residents.”  

Savings

Wireless KURVE uses a LoRaWAN connection instead of a wired or legacy 2G or 3G solution, making it quick and easy to retrofit in developments with no existing M-Bus link. Installations take just one hour in each property instead of the two hours typical for PAYG systems, and is about half the cost of alternative solutions. Insite’s data shows that customers using KURVE PAYG also consume 24% less energy on average compared to credit-billed customers. 

“The switch to our wireless KURVE solution makes financial sense for NHG,” said Ellie Blacklock, KURVE Product Manager and Customer Experience Director at Insite Energy. “When you consider that just maintaining a legacy PAYG metering system in its final two years of life costs an average of £187 per property, and resident energy debt is nearly 20 times lower in households using KURVE PAYG versus monthly credit billed households, it’s easy to see how quickly heat suppliers can get a return on their investment. And that in turn means lower bills for residents, not to mention a much better user experience.” 

Insite Energy worked closely with NHG to support residents through the transition to the new system, helping to manage appointment bookings, explaining the installation process, providing written information, and holding an in-person engagement forum. 

Convenient and future-ready

Wireless KURVE is much more user-friendly and sustainable than the proprietary data collection hardware it replaces. This tends to take the form of physical in-home displays with greyscale screens offering limited user interaction, often hidden away in hard-to-reach corners or cupboards. Retrofitting wired In home displays can also cause costly and disruptive fire-stop issues. 

All personal data transmitted via KURVE is encrypted, ensuring GDPR compliance. The technology should also comfortably meet the more stringent technical standards that are expected to be laid out in the Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) due to be launched later this year. 

“85% of heat networks are not metered in the social rented sector,” observes Ellie. “This puts them in a perilous position when regulations are tightened next year. The launch of our wireless KURVE solution is therefore likely to be very timely in helping them and heat suppliers alike to simplify and speed up retrofits, keeping costs to a minimum. And, because it was designed on the back of NHG’s real-world experiences, we know we’ve developed something that really meets the needs of housing providers and their residents.”