Tshwane switches to smart system to read meters without errors

The City of Tshwane has introduced a new ground-breaking meter management system aimed at ensuring that its customers get accurate and up-to-date meter readings and billing.

The new system, “Click Soft”, uses technology to eliminate estimations and uncertainty.

A new feature is the capture of images (pictures) of meters and/ or meter boxes. This confirms visits to meters (including no-access), allows for visual confirmation of readings, ensures meter readings are allocated to the correct properties on the GPS system and also ensures that the city has updated information on the property, including street view functionality.

City of Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said this change follows a review of the old system, which presented meter management and billing challenges for both internal and external stakeholders.

The new automated meter management system will proactively solve both the residents and the city’s challenges by verifying information through triangulation, which reduces human error as a result of manual input.

Some of the advantages of Click Soft are that users will have a real-time update of readings and timely, accurate, consistent readings, which will result in correct billing.

Bokaba said it will bring about a reduction in billing and administrations errors and queries.

“It will improve readings even without access control, improve capturing of information resulting in more accurate and sometimes lower bills for consumers, elimination of estimations, reduce billing adjustments and improve revenue management for the city.

“Click Soft provides improved security, imaging, GPS capability, remote communication, user experience which supports the city’s field workers and supervisors’ daily activities,” Bokaba said.

Member of the mayoral committee for finance Mare-Lise Fourie said the process of introducing and embedding this new system into the city’s framework is already under way and residents may start to notice several changes.

“The city’s meter readers will be easily identifiable in uniform with clearly displayed name tags and reference numbers to ensure safety and comfort for the consumers.

“We urge all affected stakeholders to embrace this positive change to the new system,” said Fourie.

INFO: 

• For more information, assistance or to verify a field agent call the customer care line on 012- 358-999 from Monday to Sunday.

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.