Estate Living Magazine Invest SA - Issue 45 September 2019 | Page 62

L I V E
S M A R T
The implications for rental properties and bodies corporate are
significant. ‘Prepaid metering reduces admin to a minimum,
while removing the risk and frustration of late or non-payment
of water bills,’ Thulsidas says. ‘This is why housing estates are
swiftly moving to prepaid water, as they did with prepaid
electricity. Gone are the days of splitting the entire estate’s
water bill by the number of units. Prepaid metering means that
users pay for their consumption only.’
Communication is the final piece in this digital integration
puzzle. Once the information is gathered at the back end,
and digested and interpreted in the smart system, how is it
presented to the end user? Increasingly, that end user (in this
case, the home owner) is choosing the delivery mechanism
that he or she prefers the most. One home owner might
want WhatsApp messages; another might opt for email; their
neighbour might want to receive a notification through an
app or on their wearable device. The delivery mechanism will
depend on the individual. All that matters is that the information
is accurate, up-to-date and user-friendly.
BRONX, NEW YORK, USA — Bigbelly
is a solar-powered waste recep-
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system of the energy model and the platform necessary for the
transition toward a decarbonised economy based on renewable
energies. Leading this transition and making it a reality require a
tariff framework that fosters quality and efficiency, incentivises
digitalisation and promotes innovation.’
South African residential developments are now moving in
this direction too, using technology to manage facilities and
utilities more effectively and cost-efficiently through smart data
collection.
For today’s – and tomorrow’s – communities, the estate
experience needs to be about integration. Residents want to
know what their water bill is right now, and what it will be when
payment is due. They want that payment to be cashless and
easy, and they want to know that the readings are accurate.
They want to know who’s waiting at the gate, wanting to visit.
They want seamless access control, and they want to know that
unwanted visitors are kept out. They want easy use of the gym.
They want to know when maintenance is going to be done –
and completed – on their home and on the estate clubhouse.
They want all of this, and they want it in one place.
That’s not too much to ask. And in some parts of the world, they
can have it today.
Mark van Dijk
Prepaid water meters – managed by the resident or home
owner via a mobile app – are one example. ‘Prepaid water
means that the consumer purchases water credit in the form
of a prepaid water token,’ explains Marcus Thulsidas, Director
of Business Development at smart metering systems provider
Utility Systems. ‘When entered into the user interface unit
(located in the consumer’s home), the token instructs the water
management device to allow a certain amount of water through
the meter before closing.
Consumers can track usage, load credit remotely, and decrease
the possibility of bill shock due to leakages or incorrect
monitoring.’
Wearable payment device