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Metering Surveys and Strategy deliver greater energy visibility for South Western Railway
Metering Surveys and Strategy deliver greater energy visibility for South Western Railway
- South Western Railway
- 2025
- Metering strategy, Metering surveys, Sub-metering specifications
Overview
South Western Railway (SWR) wanted a clearer picture of how energy was being used across its train care depots. In view of rising energy costs and the company’s goal to be a net zero railway by 2040, visibility and control are a big priority.
Objectives
- Deeper understanding of key energy loads and inefficiencies
- Practical guidance on how and where to sub-meter
- Reliable data to inform investment decisions and energy-saving initiatives
Project scope
Concept was appointed to carry out detailed metering surveys and develop recommendation reports and partial metering hierarchies for three depots.
In our experience, many sites have numerous sub-meters but it is unclear whether/whether the data is collected and how it is monitored. So, this addressing this challenge was a core part of our work.
What we did
- Conducted comprehensive plant room inspections to locate existing meters and trace pipework
- Identified existing gas sub-meters as well as proposed gas sub-meters and heat meters to monitor consumption and efficiency
- Mapped feasible locations for new sub-meters – from plant rooms to occupied areas – considering access, safety, and power supply
- To overcome gaps in site documentation, we gathered information from a range of secondary sources, including electrical testing records, legionella testing records and old plant room schematics found in plant rooms
- Identified “quick win” energy efficiency opportunities, that will deliver fast payback
Overcoming logistical challenges
Working within strict railway safety and security protocols, site access had to be carefully scheduled and approved.
Our flexible planning and rapid mobilisation meant consultants could attend sites as soon as authority was granted, minimising delays and keeping the project on track.
Outcomes & deliverables
We produced a clear, well-structured report, that will support SWR in commissioning sub-metering installations.
- Visibility of key energy-hungry plant and equipment and how consumption is distributed across each site
- Clear recommendations for sub-metering locations and installation specifications
- Potential efficiency opportunities with quick payback potential
- Improved understanding of existing data capture and reporting infrastructure, helping ensure that future data will be meaningful and actionable
By providing a structured, data-led metering strategy, Concept helped SWR take a decisive step toward energy transparency, reduced waste, and progress on its net zero pathway.