Meter Reading
DataCol offers contract meter reading services for water, electricity and gas energy utilities. The key benefits they gain from engaging DataCol are:
- No more expensive changes to billing systems - we interface to your system.
- Frees utility resources - using our economy of scale service lowers your data collection costs.
- Guaranteed industry compliance for all non-TOU data collection and forwarding - secure data, no hassle service with full industry compliance managed on your behalf.
- A one stop service - single point co-ordination of your nationwide customer base data collection.
Our data collection services include scheduled meter reads, special final reads, key management and round scheduling. Collecting of meter reads for retailers can be completed in their incumbent areas as well as non-incumbent areas.
DataCol offers three different models for contracting our services:
1. Contract Management of a Meter Reading Force
The retailer maintains control of the meter reading system and handheld computers. DataCol manages the readers and makes sure all reads are accurate, completed and forwarded on time.
2. Contract Management of a Meter Reading System and Force
DataCol operates a utility's meter reading system, providing scheduling assistance and the meter reading team.
3. Total Service Provision
DataCol supplies the meter reading systems, scheduling and meter reading teams to offer a complete contract service to the utility. This can be for nation-wide, per region or per network coverage. This service incorporates all functionality of a non-TOU Data Administrator and offers industry compliance for data collection and forwarding.
In today's deregulated environment getting the utilities' nation-wide meter reads back from a variety of service providers on time and in the correct file format has not been an easy task - until now.
DataCol has developed a unique software system that allows for a variety of different collection methods to be compiled simultaneously for a number of different utility customers.
Readings can be collected in the form of web-based reads, AMR, meter reading system reads and manual reads.
Our system automatically receives these reads, separates and collates the data for the appropriate utilities and automatically forwards the data in the correct file format to the separate utilities.
Our industry-compliant database maintains and verifies all data, logs changes, provides audit trails and stores the raw data.