Amey, one of the UK’s leading regulated services providers, has been successful in retaining its water metering contract with United Utilities.
The win sees Amey continuing to install, maintain and repair water meters across the North West on behalf of United Utilities for the next five and a half years, with the option to extend for an additional five years .
The contract is worth in the region of £70m to Amey during the next five years, but with contract options the value could be more than £100m. Since taking over the metering contract just over a year ago, the team has already handled more than 60,000 customer calls, and increased performance standards while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. Amey teams will manage around 195,000 metering jobs every year and handle an estimated 150,000 or more customer appointments. Amey will support United Utilities in their ongoing commitment to upgrade existing traditional water meters with new Automated Meter Reading (AMR) meters.
AMR technology means less disruption to customers and, because the new meters are fitted inside people’s homes, less inconvenience to drivers due to fewer excavations being carried out on the highway network.
Mel Ewell, Chief Executive of Amey, said: “This new contract will see us continue to support United Utilities in achieving their customer commitments and promises by driving efficiencies, while improving performance standards and sharing best practice.”
Kate Burton, Head of Metering and Connections for United Utilities said: “This contract is critical to United Utilities being able to meet the significant metering challenges of the next 5 years as we undertake an unprecedented AMR metering programme which will enable a revolutionary step change in customer service.
“Amey have demonstrated a commitment to working with us to build on the improvements they have already delivered and the relationship we have established with them under the previous contract.”
The latest contract award follows a recent contract extension on the Network Maintenance Alliance where Amey teams carry out almost 100,000 clean and waste water repairs on United Utilities network.
Amey also provides clean and waste water distribution activities as well as delivering major project work for United Utilities.