The rotational power outages that have impacted South African business and consumer are likely to continue, on and off and unexpectedly, for the foreseeable future. In fact, Eskom told Parliament that the challenges of reliable utility supply would likely continue until March 2022. This has put the electricity conversation front and centre for the property developer, asking them to focus on smarter solutions that make utility management a simple and accessible priority.
“Users want to be able to measure and monitor their utility usage effectively, especially when they are at the mercy of a system that’s unreliable and variable,” says Michael Franze, MD of Citiq Prepaid. “When they can monitor their own spend and usage, tenants feel empowered and in control. This, in turn, has a positive impact on sustainable energy and water consumption that has long term benefits for the Landlord. This then means better property prices for the developer while giving them the cachet of building for the future.”
The growing move towards more sustainable living and development is being felt across the industry. The ways in which people shop, invest and work are changing. Climate conversations are becoming more prevalent and impactful. And the developer can benefit from investing in solutions that embed green thinking and sustainable practice into their properties and estates from the very beginning
“The benefits are not just reputational,” says Franze. “The South African Green Building Council has found that Green Star buildings can experience energy savings of up to 50% compared to those buildings that use older systems. And, studies have shown that property valuations on green buildings, globally, are higher. Overall, the concepts of green and sustainable offer tangible short and long term benefits to the real estate sector.”
Enter the smart prepaid sub-meter. An intelligent device that offers both property owner and tenant the functionality they need to monitor, manage and assess how electricity is consumed. Smart prepaid sub-meters are capable of recording data in near real-time which means that the information they provide is relevant and of value. Usage patterns can help people identify which appliances are using the most power, which time of day has the most consumption, and gives them the tools they need to adapt their habits to save money and power.
“What really makes the smart prepaid meter even more compelling is the fact that it’s not expensive,” concludes Franze. “The days of smart appliances and meters costing the Earth are now gone. Smart technology is accessible to anyone with prepaid smart sub-meters that are cost-effective, capable and of high quality.”
Article originally appeared in Real Estate Investor