Finnish utilities are leading European efforts to conserve energy and protect the environment by deploying Advanced Metering Management (AMM) solutions for businesses and consumers.

Landis+Gyr, a global leader in energy management solutions, during 2008 signed AMM contracts with five forward-looking Finnish utilities that will install smart meter solutions enabling 145,000 new consumers to manage energy better.

Smart meters are expected to revolutionize energy management and grid reliability across the globe. Smart metering solutions provide utilities with a two-way flow of data required to manage energy use, efficiency and demand response and network protection. Consumers benefit from lower energy costs, and, crucially, a reduced carbon footprint.

An October 2008 report from VaasaETT, an energy think tank in Helsinki, found that energy savings via use of smart meters and in-house displays show average savings of 10.3%. Another 2008 paper, from the European Commission, estimates 7% energy savings for households and 10% for businesses.

The Finnish government regulation that is planned to become effective at the beginning of February calls on utilities to deploy smart meters in 80 percent of homes by end 2013. The mandate is similar to laws being enacted in other Nordic countries.

“Finland is in the execution phase of smart meter deployment, as utilities move quickly to meet government mandates,” said Ad van der Meys, Landis+Gyr’s Executive VP EMEA region. “Landis+Gyr believes that we must use the tools we have now to secure our energy future, and our products are key ingredients in that process.”

There are 3 million households in Finland and one in five is currently equipped with smart meters, with Landis+Gyr the leading supplier.

Building on early success in 2008 with Finnish utilities Jyväskylän Energia, Tampereen Sähkölaitos and Vaasan Sähköverkko Oy, Landis+Gyr has also signed contracts with two additional utilities Satapirkan Sähkö and Kemin Sähkö.

Satapirkan Sähkö, a consortium of nine different utility companies, will invest in smart meter solutions for eight of their members. Landis+Gyr is working with other manufacturers to tailor a solution to meet the specific demands of Satapirkan Sähkö: enabling the utility to work with multiple suppliers and remotely read and control their meters. This allows the utility to reduce the margin of error in billing, further ensuring the best customer service.

Data transfer between customer and utility is carried out using General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and power line carrier (PLC) systems in the urban areas and with GPRS connection in the rural areas – critical in enabling both rural and metropolitan customers to benefit.

“Landis+Gyr’s smart metering solution improves customer service for utilities while at the same time helping them to improve efficiency and reduce their environmental impact. This advanced product offering has helped consolidate our leadership position within the Finnish market over the last year. In the future we are looking to further increase this leadership position not only in Finland but across Europe as other countries follow the lead of the Nordic countries," Van der Meys said.

Landis+Gyr smart meter solutions create flexibility to provide as much value as possible both now and in the future. They contain a “multi-energy function” to help consumers manage different costs at once, including electricity, gas, water or heat. Looking to the future, consumers will be able to manage their energy consumption from their hand held personal devices including phones, PDAs and remote controlled devices thanks to the advanced communication technology.

ABOUT LANDIS + GYR

Landis+Gyr is the leading provider of integrated energy management solutions tailored to energy company needs. With a global presence and a reputation for quality and innovation, Landis+Gyr is unique in its ability to deliver true end-to-end advanced metering solutions. Today, the Company offers the broadest portfolio of products and services in the electricity metering industry, and is paving the way for the next generation of smart grid. With annualized sales of more than US$1.25 billion, Landis+Gyr operates in 30 countries across five continents, and employs over 5,000 people with the sole mission of helping the world manage energy better. For more information about Landis+Gyr Inc., please visit the corporate website at www.landisgyr.com