Meter Reader plea to folks of the area!

Rattlesnake Gal · 04-07-2009, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kerk

With the new electronics there are meters that can be read from the office. They may be a bit pricey but they work and have a lot of capability. Our local Electric co. just changed over all meters and they are working out fine. jmho.

While converting meters to be read from the office makes sense for the electric company long term, I don't think that SerenityRick would like to be out of a job!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

1)

2) I also have an easy pathway to the meter, but the Wolfeboro meter-reader charges down an impossibly-steep embankment as though he was a moose!

I know what you mean APS. You should have seen the meter reader that I encountered on the island. Scared the bejeebers out of me as she loped down a section of embankment that she had no business being on. If she got herself hurt on our property being stupid like that, are we liable?

Dave R · 04-07-2009, 12:41 PM

We got a thank you card this year for keeping our meter area and path free of snow. Thought that was kinda cool.

chipj29 · 04-07-2009, 01:44 PM

My meter is on the back side of my house, on the side of the house that never sees human activity. I never even think about the meter, let alone clearing a path to it. In fact, I have never seen footprints going to it in the snow. I wonder if Unitil is just estimating each monthly usage? If they are, wouldn't it say so on the bill?

Rose · 04-07-2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chipj29

I wonder if Unitil is just estimating each monthly usage? If they are, wouldn't it say so on the bill?

Not sure about where you are, but where I am in North Central Mass, Unihell reads the meters electronically. There was much outrage over the estimated readings they had to generate when the ice storm in December made it impossible for them to read the meters over the power lines that lay on the ground for days and days and days....

Lakegeezer · 04-07-2009, 03:56 PM

Why not have the meter reader to leave a card or have the company send out an email or card if there is too much snow. Ask the owner to read the meter themselves and phone or web it in. Fraud would not be an issue, because eventually, the snow melts and the meter reader returns for an update.

EricP · 04-07-2009, 05:04 PM

You can log into the Coop's website and submit a meter reading any time you want to, it's a feature they have. You just have to set up an account, then of course remember to do it on or before your billing cycle end date. Make sure you record the numbers properly. I made a mistake one month and got a huge bill, I realized I made a mistake and called them, they took the new reading over the phone and I made a more reasonable payment based on what it should be.

SerenityRick · 04-07-2009, 06:05 PM

Thanks for the comments!

As for the thank you cards, we actually do have a stack of those and if door is somewhat close the meter/on our way back to our truck we definitely try and leave it. Unfortunately we read so many meters a day that even if we veer and take a little extra time to put thank you cards at every door our route would literally take an extra hour or more longer. It sounds crazy but it's true.
I know every route like the back of my hand and some routes STILL take me 10+ hours in the summer.

As for huge piles of snow (and even depending on the consistency of the snow itself) we'll sometimes skip it if there's no path or if a snowplow just covers it completely. I'm not sure if they mark on the bill to let the customers know it was estimated though. I'd imagine it would

The thing about the whole reading the meters from the office is that our contracting company is so cheap that it costs the Co-op less to continue renewing our contract than to integrate a multi-million dollar infrastructure that even when it's done will still need some kind of maintenence. I'm sure in the long run (really long run) it will end up saving everyone money but in this economy I don't think it will be replacing us anytime soon. hopefully.. it's brutal out there! hehe.

Yes I don't read wolfeboro, just the co-op meters and I think wolfeboro has their own electric company thing going on. Tuftonboro is as close as I get. way out in the boonies! Lots of seasonal places on that route, it seems as though I end up skipping half of it in the winter because so many roads just aren't plowed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakegeezer

Why not have the meter reader to leave a card or have the company send out an email or card if there is too much snow. Ask the owner to read the meter themselves and phone or web it in. Fraud would not be an issue, because eventually, the snow melts and the meter reader returns for an update.

the co-op does send letters every year I believe asking "members" to try and clear a path but some people don't listen/don't read/don't notice.
Sometimes it's frustrating because some people will snowblow a path right to the oil tank and pile all the snowblown snow right in front of the meter and forget about poor ol' us

And yes some meters I end up skipping specifically because the owners like to read it themselves (or it's inside their house/garage and we can't get to it). They usually get cards that they mail in but as someone else stated, apparently you can do it online, that's pretty neat!

SerenityRick · 04-07-2009, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

I know what you mean APS. You should have seen the meter reader that I encountered on the island. Scared the bejeebers out of me as she loped down a section of embankment that she had no business being on. If she got herself hurt on our property being stupid like that, are we liable?

Nah you're not liable. I've been hurt plenty of times and if there was a path it's our fault if we don't look for it or use it.

You'd never believe how agile we have to be sometimes even in the summer! Climbing over rock walls, climbing up banks, jumping from rock to rock if it's flooded, running as fast as humanly possible if an aggressive dog surprises us.. just a few of the stuff we deal with.

keeps things interesting that's for sure. never boring!

04-07-2009, 01:44 PM	#3
chipj29 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bow Posts: 1,874 Thanks: 521 Thanked 308 Times in 162 Posts	My meter is on the back side of my house, on the side of the house that never sees human activity. I never even think about the meter, let alone clearing a path to it. In fact, I have never seen footprints going to it in the snow. I wonder if Unitil is just estimating each monthly usage? If they are, wouldn't it say so on the bill? __________________ Getting ready for winter!

04-07-2009, 03:56 PM	#5
Lakegeezer Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Moultonboro, NH Posts: 1,683 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 356 Thanked 641 Times in 292 Posts	Why not have the meter reader to leave a card or have the company send out an email or card if there is too much snow. Ask the owner to read the meter themselves and phone or web it in. Fraud would not be an issue, because eventually, the snow melts and the meter reader returns for an update. __________________ -lg

04-07-2009, 12:41 PM	#2
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 2,985 Thanks: 246 Thanked 744 Times in 444 Posts	We got a thank you card this year for keeping our meter area and path free of snow. Thought that was kinda cool.

04-07-2009, 05:04 PM	#6
EricP Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 329 Thanks: 28 Thanked 11 Times in 7 Posts	You can log into the Coop's website and submit a meter reading any time you want to, it's a feature they have. You just have to set up an account, then of course remember to do it on or before your billing cycle end date. Make sure you record the numbers properly. I made a mistake one month and got a huge bill, I realized I made a mistake and called them, they took the new reading over the phone and I made a more reasonable payment based on what it should be.