LIVE & ONLINE CONFERENCE - 13 & 14 October 2026, London
Plus, Operationalising Smart Water Data To Improve Visibility, Efficiency & Response
13 & 14 Oct 2026
Plus, Operationalising Smart Water Data To Improve Visibility, Efficiency & Response
13 & 14 Oct 2026
The team at Strategy Engineering Research Group would like to extend a warm and sincere thank you to all speakers, sponsors, and attendees for making the inaugural Smart Water Metering & Demand Reduction for Non-Household and Business 2025 Conference such a valuable learning and networking experience.
We heard insightful contributions from across the market ecosystem — including retailers, wholesalers, utilities, innovators, and end-users — exploring what it really takes to make smart metering and demand reduction deliver measurable impact.
The speakers represented a broad cross-section of wholesalers, retailers, NAVs, customers, meter installation companies and innovators.
• Rosie Rand, NHH Smart Metering & Demand Reduction Programme Manager,
Thames Water
• Mohammed Abadayah, Social Director, The Water Retail Company
• Harry Cowan, Head Of Water, Indigo Water
• Hamza Shahzad, Natural Resource Optimisation Engineer, AstraZeneca
• Gary Adams, Head of Metering Operations, Northumbrian Water
• Scott King, Smart Meter Benefits Realisation Manager, Anglian Water
• Kyle Smith, NHH Smart Meter Deployment & Engagement Lead, United Utilities
• Brooklyn Francis, NHH Metering & Data Services Manager, Thames Water
• Neil Pendle, CEO, Waterscan
• Matthew Margetts, Group Director Sales & Marketing, Smarter Technologies
• Janet Manning, Head of Water, Royal Horticultural Society
• Campbell Scott, Smart Network Support & Service, Watercare Services Limited,
Auckland, New Zealand
• Jacob Tompkins, Chief Technology Officer, The Water Retail Company
• Chris Dawson, Market Design Manager, MOSL
• Jade Lambert, Customer Innovation Manager, IMServ Europe
• Christina Blackwell, Head of Business Customer Care, Consumer Council for Water
Grounded in Real Delivery
The sponsors at this meeting brought real delivery expertise to the table, emphasising practical clarity and executional weight. IMServ Europe contributed deep operational lessons from energy-sector metering rollouts. Smarter Technologies shared experiences of working with large commercial tenants, and ADSM offered practical, fundable water-efficiency project models that can be executed at pace. This anchored the discussion in what can be done now, not what might happen someday.
Beyond “If” — The Age of “How” Has Arrived
Many of the wholesalers — including Thames Water, Anglian Water, and United Utilities — were refreshingly clear: this is no longer a discussion about whether smart meters are needed in the NHH segment. It’s now a question of how quickly and efficiently they can be deployed with real execution discipline. Utilities and retailers are facing similar choke points, and the language in the room reflected shared priorities rather than competing narratives.
One of the strongest aspects of the event was the honesty and transparency. There was a total absence of glossy PR slides or overconfident forecasts. Wholesalers were frank about the practical challenges: securing access, managing installation risks, handling customer data, and navigating operational friction. That shared realism created a sense of common purpose. No one pretended this was easy — but there was a clear understanding that it can be done if the sector stays focused on disciplined delivery.
All Roads Lead to the Data Hub – The Real Test Will Be What Happens Next
Another major theme was the forthcoming centralised data hub being delivered by MOSL in 2026. Utilities, retailers, and innovators see it as the backbone for moving from fragmented metering efforts to a more systemic approach. The discussion wasn’t about whether the hub will matter — it was about how fast it can be made to work in practice. Its success will be pivotal to the next stage of rollout.
Customers Made the Case Clearer Than Anyone
Hearing directly from customers was among the most valuable moments. AstraZeneca outlined its ambition to lead globally in smart water metering across its pharmaceutical and life-science manufacturing plants — making it clear that reliable data is now an operational requirement, not a nice-to-have.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Royal Horticultural Society explained how difficulties accessing meters have slowed their ability to build credible water-efficiency business cases. Their sites face the risk of future water restrictions, yet the procurement pathway has been obstructive. This contrast — between a global manufacturer with high-volume industrial demand and an iconic national events body struggling with basic access — cut to the heart of why better coordination matters.
One Pin-Drop Moment And A Commercial Truth
When Jacob Tompkins from The Water Retail Company said directly that most commercial customers don’t actually care that much about water efficiency, the room went silent. It wasn’t cynicism — it was realism. As he and others explained, the same business leader can wear two hats: as a CSR-conscious actor concerned about climate and water scarcity, and as a commercial operator focused on cost optimisation and keeping bills down. In that second mode, cost trumps principle every time. This observation unlocked one of the most honest and useful debates of the conference.
The Business Case Has to Lead
The solution-driven discussion that followed was unusually practical. Everyone agreed that to make smart metering work in the non-household sector, the industry needs to explain the benefits in the language customers care about — transparency and cost control. That’s the starting point, even if the full picture is more complex. Efficiency and climate impact may be part of the equation, but what really gets attention is showing businesses how they can see and manage their usage and cut their bills.
A Clear Line in the Sand – Deployment Now Defines Success
The consensus was unambiguous: 2026 has to be the year deployment happens at scale. For Thames Water and others, the priority is to get meters installed and start generating meaningful continuous-flow data — not just as a proof point, but as a working operational tool to tackle leaks and inefficiencies. Rosie Rand from Thames Water, for example, shared early data showing that continuous flow alerts are already delivering real impact where meters are in place. The technology works. The challenge now is delivery at scale.
Coordinating the Whole Market
Another key takeaway is that success can’t rest on a handful of progressive retailers and wholesalers. If smart metering is going to work at scale, coordination has to extend across the entire market. That means every retailer showing active interest, not just the innovators - the industries words, not ours. It means shared messaging, shared effort, and a willingness to tackle commercial frictions head-on. This is about aligning commercial incentives with technical deployment so that customers actually experience a joined-up service.
A Scarcity Story Not Yet Fully Told
A broader truth cut through the discussion: the UK faces a real water scarcity problem in several regions, and that reality hasn’t always been communicated effectively to the non-household market. This isn’t about fear-mongering; it’s about helping businesses understand that water is becoming a strategic constraint — and that smart metering gives them greater control over how they manage it. We also heard how Thames Water, Anglian Water, and Northumbrian Water are pushing boundaries in this regard, using targeted communication, customer engagement and early deployment strategies to build a clearer link between water scarcity and operational decision-making. But even with this momentum, the message still isn’t landing consistently across the market — and until it does, uptake will remain harder than it needs to be.
The Trust Factor and the Economy – A Reality Check
Another recurring theme was the economic backdrop and its impact on business appetite for smart metering installation. It’s impossible to separate smart metering from the wider financial reality. Companies are facing higher National Insurance costs, rising taxes, and mounting margin pressure. In this climate, smart metering isn’t competing with environmental ideals — it’s competing with every other line on the balance sheet. All speaking retailers emphasised the importance of drawing a clear, measurable line between metering, transparency, and cost reduction.
Where the Energy in the Room Was
It was telling that some of the most animated conversations happened in the coffee breaks. Retailers, NAVs, and installation innovators were swapping practical ideas on how to clear the logjams slowing down deployment. Many participants commented on how refreshing it was to see new-generation retailers and NAVs approaching the challenge with genuine commitment to doing things differently — not just providing billing services. This practical, informal energy was one of the strongest signals of where the momentum is likely to build next.
SMEs Are Also Important
One point kept resurfacing: the SME sector is central to whether smart metering succeeds or stalls. These businesses may not have CSR departments or dedicated energy managers — but collectively, they represent a huge portion of the market. If they’re not engaged, the rollout remains partial. Making the case in their language — control, visibility, savings — will be just as important as the technical work happening behind the scenes.
From Talk to Timelines
The value of this meeting doesn’t end with the closing remarks. A half-yearly virtual catch-up in April 2026 will track progress on the MOSL Data Hub rollout and deployment milestones. The next full in-person event is scheduled for October 13–14, 2026. Between now and then, the sector will either show measurable movement on coordination, installation, and customer engagement — or risk losing hard-won momentum.
Extending the Value Beyond the Room
A more granular Chair’s summary — capturing the substance of each presentation and discussion — is available on the event website. For those who want to go deeper, a comprehensive post-conference package including a 200-page strategic report, presentation slides, audio and video recordings is also available for purchase and download. The goal is to ensure that the insights shared in the room continue to support delivery long after the event itself.
A more granular Chair’s summary — capturing the substance of each presentation and discussion — is available on the event website. For those who want to go deeper, a comprehensive post-conference package including a 360-page strategic report, presentation slides, audio and video recordings is also available for purchase and download. The goal is to ensure that the insights shared in the room continue to support delivery long after the event itself.
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There are two ways to access the post-conference materials: Full Package (361-page report + full video/audio library + all available slide decks) or Presentation/Video Material only.
What the 361-Page Report Includes
The report compiles every available presentation transcription, Q&A, and all released slide packs, then layers structured analysis on top. It’s designed to be the definitive public resource on non-household smart metering in 2025—with presentation-by-presentation insights and a whole conference-level synthesis.
For each individual presentation you also get: operator next steps and practical takeaways plus vendor/solution-provider considerations—where suppliers can help de-risk, add capability, and unlock value as signalled by the speaker’s evidence. This dual lens keeps buyers and builders aligned on what’s real, what’s viable, and what pays back.
Roadmaps: Immediate Priorities and Longer-Term Shifts
We also separate near-term priorities (12–24 months) from longer-term (to 2030) goals. Example: in 2025, leakage and continuous-flow detection are immediate opportunities from NHH smart meters; the next 12 months are about scaling interventions nationally and standardising definitions and triggers. Longer-term, value comes from linking continuous-flow alerts to automated workflows, including retailer notifications that enable targeted efficiency incentives and bill-shock mitigation.
Analysis For Vendors
For example, in the report, the vendor analysis assesses connectivity and commissioning reliability, data-to-action translation, anomaly detection, and future-tariff readiness/bill-shock mitigation as recurring demand themes. If you’re assessing capability build-out for the non-household market, this section highlights precisely where and why customers will pay for outcomes. What are the new opportunities for smart metering and connectivity vendors in 2026 and what are the specific nuances of the NHH market - is one basic question the report addresses.
All insights are sourced directly from presentations or Q&A—no outside or secondary sources —because the two-day conference produced sufficient data, benchmarks, and operator reality to stand on its own. Where roundtable sessions were under Chatham House (e.g., Day 2 Q&A), we’ve respected the format while reflecting the non-attributed learning in the synthesis.
Navigate by Topic, Speaker, or Need
In the report, a table of contents with page numbers lets you jump straight to specific presentations, themes, or decisions you’d like further insight on. That way teams can dip in and out of the resource and still keep the full strategic picture in view.
Feedback From Utilities and Vendors Worldwide Who Are Investing
Global buyers—from CEOs of water utilities and vendors across areas as diverse as Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and India to specialist vendor teams—have purchased prior packs because the read-watch-listen format compresses time and preserves nuance. If you couldn’t attend or missed the stream, you still capture the full learning curve and apply it with your teams.
Summary: The Most Complete Public Resource Available
Thanks to the calibre of speakers, attendees, and sponsors, this is likely the most detailed publicly available resource on non-household smart metering. If you’re entering or scaling in this market, the pack gives you the facts, frameworks, and next actions to move now—and a 2030 line-of-sight to build toward.
When you book a place at a Strategy Engineering Research Business Conference — whether as an attendee, virtual participant, speaker, or sponsor — you automatically receive the post-conference report as part of your delegate package.
This isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a structured way to ensure your personal contribution and your organisation’s investment continue to deliver value long after the event ends. In today’s environment, conferences must go beyond being mere talking shops so we are committed to building follow-through into the experience.
Having a written record of the entire conference — consolidated into one clear, actionable report — ensures that insights are not lost in the noise. It enables faster internal dissemination, supports strategic decision-making, and accelerates solution deployment across the industry.
Whether you attended every session or dipped in and out, the post-conference package captures what matters. It allows your wider organization to benefit from your participation, turning time spent at the event into a tangible, enduring asset.
This is how we ensure every hour, every conversation, and every idea contributes to measurable progress — not just inspiration.
