Case study 2026
The challenge
Water smart metering is becoming vital as scarcity and climate change bite. But water utilities are at vastly different stages of development of their meter programmes. That’s meant that the early movers in the sector have had to embrace everything from radio communications to network infrastructure and electronics supply chains – areas in which they are unlikely to be experts (at least at first).
Horizon Water Infrastructure proposes an alternative – a third-party metering as a service (MaaS) solution where utilities pay for the data they need but leave the hard work of specifying technology, managing suppliers, and installing meters to a long-term partner. Not only does that cut complexity, it also enables utilities to spread the cost over a couple of decades.
Southern Water made waves in the industry when it became the first MaaS customer in the UK in summer 2025. And when Horizon Water Infrastructure wanted to promote the deal with Southern and increase awareness of MaaS to an audience of water company decision-makers, it turned to Utility Week Intelligence.
What we did
Our journalists interviewed an array of senior water industry figures, subject matter experts and top management at the client to produce and design an in-depth 3,800-word report. The report explored the role smart metering will play in addressing water scarcity, and the potential of metering as a service, just as water companies at the early stages of their smart metering journey were looking for solutions.
We were able to bring to life why a third-party approach makes sense for water companies, show how Southern Water is already benefiting from this approach, and demonstrate how MaaS can save customers money over the long term. The report was hosted in our animated Foleon platform for maximum visual impact and engagement.
The results
Our Insight report for Horizon Water Infrastructure was downloaded more than 100 times by Utility Week readers, generating invaluable leads for the client, which we tracked and managed in our dedicated dashboard. The report builds on the success of an earlier thought leadership piece, which attracted more than 900 views by our readership.
Horizon Water Infrastructure said:
“Utility Week’s creation and promotion of the Unlocking Value for Water Customers: The Benefits of Smart Metering Insight Report for Horizon Water Infrastructure was a diligent and highly effective piece of journalism. By engaging a wide range of expert voices, the team produced a high-quality piece of thought leadership that resonated strongly with our target audience.
“Its impact is clear: the report became one of Utility Week’s most downloaded pieces in 2025 and generated a significant number of high-quality leads for Horizon Water Infrastructure, including from many of the organisations we most want to engage.
“The actionable data provided has enabled us to follow up directly and continue those important conversations.”