£625m meter contract sees new Arqiva jobs in region

The communications infrastructure firm, which has an office in Huddersfield, will invest in a new smart communications network and associated equipment, which will provide “a private, secure and resilient” communications service to support the mass roll-out of smart meters from the end of 2015.

It is partnering with US firm Sensus, which will provide the smart metering communications technology so data can be communicated to and from smart meters in people’s homes. Yesterday, Steve Holebrook, managing director, broadcast and media at Arqiva, told the Yorkshire Post that the control centre for its smart metering network will be based at its Emley Moor office in Huddersfield, where “a substantial network centre” is already based.

“They will be able to provide 24-hours-a-day support to the energy retailers, making sure the network is able to read the smart meters and meet all the service requirements.

“Overall, in securing this contract we are expecting to create about 160 new jobs. Probably at least around half to a third of those are going to be in Yorkshire setting up the control centres and manning those locations there. And it also secures about 150 jobs that we’ve already got as well.

“It’s big in terms of it maintains the level of investment that we’ve got in the network and it means we can expand and grow new jobs around the country, a significant proportion of those will be in Yorkshire because that’s where we are centring in the control centre.”

Foreign-owned Arqiva provides much of the infrastructure behind television, radio, satellite and wireless communications in the UK.

Customers include broadcasters such as the BBC, ITV, BSkyB and the independent radio groups, major telco providers and the emergency services.

Arqiva turns over around £830m and employs around 2,000 staff based across the country, including more than 130 staff at the Emley Moor site.

Mr Holebrook said: “The majority of the investment will be occurring over the next two, two and a half years, as we invest in the new technology, we build the control centre, expand the control centre and start getting the operations up and running.”

He said that Arqiva will invest around £400m in the overall project.

Singapore-based EDMI will deliver the communications hubs that will be needed to connect smart meters and in-home displays in each home.

Arqiva said smart meters depend on the two-way communication of data so that consumers can benefit from more accurate billing as well as real-time information to put them in control of managing and saving energy.

The Government estimates smart metering will deliver around £7bn in benefits to homes and businesses nationwide in the period up to 2030. It is seen as an integral part of Britain’s digital and energy-efficient future.

Mr Holebrook said: “The ethos of smart metering is to enable consumers to control their energy usage and be more efficient in their energy usage.”

An international consortium led by Canadian and Australian investors owns Arqiva.

The Financial Times reported yesterday that some of Canada’s largest pension funds are weighing bids for a 25 per cent stake in Arqiva.

PSP Investments and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board are expected to compete for the stake being sold by Macquarie, the Australian-based fund manager, it said.

Macquarie declined to comment when contacted by the Yorkshire Post yester- day.

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