£80,000 of funding unlocked for a site-wide smart metering upgrade
IEM 360 helped a UK regional airport turn its energy procurement relationship into approximately £80,000 of investment for a new smart metering estate. We appointed specialist partner D3 to deliver c.100 electricity, gas and water meters, giving the customer centralised visibility across its operations — with no additional upfront capital required.
IEM 360 was engaged by a UK regional airport to review its energy procurement position and wider metering infrastructure.
The site had a complex mixture of aviation facilities, commercial tenants and operational infrastructure, with legacy metering systems limiting visibility across electricity, gas and water consumption.
Through the wider energy relationship, IEM 360 unlocked approximately £80,000 of funding for the metering upgrade at no additional cost to the customer.
IEM 360 then appointed specialist metering provider D3 to design and deliver the infrastructure upgrade.
The result was a modern, wireless metering platform providing accurate utility data, improved operational visibility and a scalable foundation for future energy management and ESG reporting.
- Sector
- Aviation & Infrastructure
- Solution
- Smart Metering, Energy Procurement & Funding
- Delivery Partner
- D3
- Utilities
- Electricity, Gas & Water
- Meters
- c.100
- Project Timeline
- Under 3 months
- Customer Capital Requirement
- £0
The challenge
The airport operated across a complex and highly sensitive environment. Its existing metering estate had developed over time, leaving a mixture of legacy and fragmented infrastructure that made it difficult to obtain a clear view of how energy and water were being consumed across the site. Key challenges included legacy and fragmented metering infrastructure; limited visibility across electricity, gas and water; a mixture of operational facilities and commercial tenants; the requirement to minimise disruption to airport operations; limited capital budget for infrastructure improvements; a growing requirement for accurate ESG and energy reporting; and the need for a solution capable of expanding with the site. A significant infrastructure upgrade was required, but the customer did not want to commit additional capital expenditure to deliver it.
Our approach
- Rather than treating energy procurement and infrastructure as separate decisions, IEM 360 looked at the wider commercial relationship
- Through the energy procurement structure, IEM 360 unlocked approximately £80,000 of funding, which was then used to support the metering project
- The airport could proceed with the upgrade without additional upfront capital expenditure and without adding additional cost to the customer
- IEM 360 managed the commercial structure and appointed D3 as the specialist delivery partner for the metering works
The outcome
- A modern, centralised metering infrastructure providing far greater visibility across electricity, gas and water consumption
- Reliable data supporting energy management, tenant and departmental cost allocation, consumption analysis and identification of abnormal usage
- Budget control, ESG and sustainability reporting, and future energy efficiency projects
- A wireless, scalable platform capable of supporting future expansion
The solution
D3 designed and deployed a wireless MID-compliant AMR metering solution across the airport.
Using wireless technology significantly reduced the need for extensive cabling and helped minimise disruption across operational areas.
- Wireless MID-compliant electricity metering
- Gas metering upgrades
- Water metering upgrades
- AMR communications infrastructure
- Centralised portfolio-wide data collection
- D3 Cloud integration
- ESG-ready reporting capability
- Infrastructure designed for future expansion
Deployment
Working under the IEM 360 project structure, D3 delivered the upgrade through a carefully coordinated programme.
The project was completed in under three months, while maintaining continuity across the airport's day-to-day operations.
- Site-wide infrastructure assessment
- Identification and verification of existing meters
- Meter replacement and upgrade works
- Wireless communications deployment
- System commissioning
- Cloud platform onboarding
- Data and reporting configuration
Commercial impact
£80,000 of infrastructure funded. IEM 360 used the value created through the wider energy relationship to secure approximately £80,000 towards the project, allowing the customer to upgrade its metering infrastructure without committing additional capital.
Better procurement and better infrastructure. The customer did not simply receive a new energy contract. The relationship created the means to invest in infrastructure that provides ongoing operational value.
Improved data and decision-making. The upgraded metering estate now gives the customer more reliable information on how utilities are being consumed across the site, creating a stronger basis for future energy and building-performance decisions.
The IEM 360 difference
Procurement created the opportunity. Better data created the long-term value.
By combining energy procurement, funding and specialist delivery partners, IEM 360 was able to turn a routine commercial energy decision into an £80,000 infrastructure investment at no additional cost to the customer.
That is the model behind IEM 360's wider approach: Procure → Measure → Understand → Improve → Manage
“Procurement created the opportunity. Better data created the long-term value.”
Download the brochure
Read the full case study as a PDF
Share it with your team or keep it for your board pack — the complete story, offline.