Gas AMR: A no-regrets action you can take to better manage your network
As regulatory changes approach, many operators are waiting for final guidance before acting. One practical step that can be taken now is setting up Automatic Meter Readings (AMR) on gas meters, providing accurate, real-time usage data to inform tariffs and performance improvement strategies.
How will this save me money?
For most network operators, gas is the largest variable cost, yet we have found that more than half of heat network operators do not use gas data for tariff setting. A 100-property site using an average of 3000 kWh per year would be under-recovering by an estimated £10,500 if relying on estimates alone. Our gas AMR solution costs just £109.50 per year; even a small improvement in accuracy pays for itself many times over.
Why does this matter for compliance?
From January 27th 2026, Ofgem's Customer Protections will require operators to demonstrate how tariffs are calculated. Whatever form the final regulations take, you'll need evidence of your actual input costs. Gas AMR creates that audit trail automatically. It's also increasingly important for HNTAS reporting, where understanding operational gas consumption is a core requirement.
Why now?
- Understanding your gas consumption is a key first step to to calculating your network's efficiency, core costs and carbon footprint.
- From 27th January 2026, you will be expected to demonstrate fair pricing if challenged by OFGEM
- From 1st April 2026 you will be expected to start collecting data, including total heat cost and pricing methodologies. This will need to be submitted to OFGEM via the digital service once available
- If you are planning on undertaking a Heat Network Efficiency Scheme Optimisation Study, providing long-term, accurate data will help to improve the accuracy of performance calculations and recommendations for improvement.
- Building up 12 months of data gives you baseline patterns to forecast seasonal changes and better anticipate upcoming costs
The data feeds directly into Switch2's systems for reporting and analysis. If you already have gas AMR, we can integrate existing systems at no extra cost.
Our Optimise service can use gas insights to provide regular performance reporting, helping you to better understand and make sense of data insights across your network with clear analysis and recommendations.
How do I get started?
The process is straightforward: fill out a quick form with your meter details, and your Client Account Manager handles the rest. One contract can cover multiple sites to keep admin simple.
