Smart metering to reduce costs across the prison estate

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To support the UK Government's Net Zero goals, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) are focused on reducing energy consumption and costs across their prison estate.

At a glance

This project forms part of our ongoing work contract with the MOJ and HMPPS to achieve Net Zero targets across prison estates as part of our total facilities management contract.
We installed smart metering technology and automatic meter reading (AMR) to more accurately track energy usage and make data driven decisions to reduce electricity usage across 36 prison sites.
Leveraging our knowledge and expertise in the prison estate, we managed the installation of the project in external buildings, working collaboratively with the utility provider and MOJ staff at individual sites to ensure the project’s secure and timely completion.
Modernising the energy metering infrastructure of these 36 sites has given prison governors and estate managers insights into energy usage and waste, supporting carbon and cost savings across the prison estate.
The project has supported the client in formulating long-term strategies and incorporating innovative solutions for future client spend proposals, such as water flow metering, water leak reduction initiatives, and additional utility works.

Key metrics

223,246

kWh of energy saved
462

tCO2e reduction in carbon emissions
9.1%

value saving compared to 2019 baseline figures

Many older buildings lack energy efficiency, leading to higher utility bills. We partnered with MOJ and HMPPS to help address this by installing electric smart metering technology and automatic meter reading (AMR) in 36 prisons, to enable the use of smart meter data to improve energy management and reduce operational costs.

Smart metering creates an intelligent approach to de-risking the client’s portfolio.

An intelligent approach to de-risking estates

With an aging infrastructure, and additional solutions for energy resilience needed to reduce the risk of power outages, the challenge was to find suitable solutions that could be implemented in a secure and compliant way and deliver the reliability needed within such critical buildings.

Increased utilities data from smart metering creates an intelligent approach to de-risking the client’s portfolio. This enables the early identification of problems such as energy wastage and helps the MOJ estates team manage climate risk.

Creating data-led solutions that future-proof the estate

In response to collaborative discussions on energy transition, we worked with MOJ to install smart metering technology across the identified sites. The adoption of smart meters addressed, the environmental impact by providing consistent and accurate energy-use data, which has been used to implement energy saving measures at the prisons, and in turn support a reduction in energy consumption, contributing to MOJ’s transition to Net Zero.

The project required meticulous planning due to the secure nature of the prisons. We ensured compliance with security protocols, scheduled installations to minimise disruption, trained staff, and managed the supply chain to ensure seamless integration with existing systems. By focusing on small, incremental steps to enhance usage and data capturing, we provided a detailed, tailored plan. This ensured that smart metering integration enhanced energy resilience, reduced consumption, and delivered a greener and more sustainable estate.

Image of person on mobile phone — The smart meters and AMR devices now provide real-time, accurate energy usage data, eliminating the need for estimated billing and manual meter readings.

The smart meters and AMR devices now provide real-time, accurate energy usage data, eliminating the need for estimated billing and manual meter readings. This enables quicker identification of issues or inefficiencies. This improvement to accuracy and efficiency will also support the overhaul of energy management on individual sites in the future.

Additionally, the success of smart metering has provided a launchpad for more utilities monitoring. Oil Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) devices and other innovative solutions will further support decarbonisation goals by improving energy efficiency and enhancing operational reliability through early detection of issues. This whole estate approach gives us a starting point for ongoing innovation and improvement, ensuring that the estate continues to evolve in line with strategic decarbonisation goals and operational efficiency.

The electric smart meter project has delivered tangible benefits.

Outcome

The electric smart meter project has delivered tangible benefits across 36 prisons, reducing electricity consumption by 223,246 kWh and saving 462 tonnes of carbon. This translates to a 9.1% increase in value savings compared to 2019 baseline figures.

These savings were identified using historical half-hourly data from EDF. To derive these savings, we conducted an electricity consumption analysis by comparing data from January 2019 to January 2023. Using heat mapping techniques, we analysed the electrical data from both years to assess energy reduction.

Analysis of this data then identified areas of concern where power was consumed outside of normal hours or when it was not required. These are referred to as "peaks," which, when reviewed, show irregular power consumption patterns compared to the typical usage of the sites.

Overall, the outcomes and achievements of this project have so far led to:

Governors and estate managers gaining detailed insights into energy usage, pinpointing areas of wastage.
Smart meter data being used to formulate energy reduction strategies through Amey’s data analytics services.
An enhancement of energy resilience, mitigating the risk of power cuts within prison facilities.

These savings would not have been identified without the availability of half-hourly data from the smart electricity meters, which allowed us to pinpoint consumption peaks. Site teams were able to investigate and address these peaks, resulting in reduced energy consumption. While electricity smart meters have been fully implemented, gas, water and oil flow meters are still in progress, with further savings expected once these systems are fully integrated.

In addition to these achievements, we continue to support ongoing efforts toward achieving Net Zero. Our team of experts assists the MOJ and HMPPS in accessing funding and utilising data to make informed decisions regarding lifecycle spend to support their sustainability initiatives.

Ministry of Justice Smart metering to reduce costs across the prison estate