752714Synthotech IVClosedVouchersInnovate UK"Under Directive 2006/32/EC, smart meters are being rolled out across Europe. In the UK, around 1 million have already been replaced with 53 million meters in 30 million homes and businesses targeted for replacement by 2020. The smart meter strategy is expected to have a net benefit to the nation of £7.3 billion to 2035. Smart meters improve energy efficiency and will reduce annual household energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 9%. To safely replace gas meters with a smart meter, the installer must isolate the supply, replace the meter and regulator, purge and relight gas appliances and tightness test the installation. This means the homeowner is without gas for the duration of the installation. Interrupting gas supply in this way can also affect unserviced boilers and exacerbate existing appliance faults. Synthotech has developed a breakthrough engineering technology that can enable meter replacement without requiring the gas supply to be disrupted. Our concept can supply gas during the meter replacement avoiding the need for gas to be turned off. It can also be used during routine gas pipe servicing and in the event of a loss of gas supply. It will bring considerable benefits to gas customers, suppliers and distributors. This project will unlock the potential of our innovation by performing a techno-economic feasibility study focused on ServiSmart’s commercial development."