Seithati Motsoeneng
IN a move towards innovation, the Water and Sewage Company (WASCO) has introduced new devices and mobile phone applications (apps) to streamline the meter reading process.
The modern tools replace the traditional billing machines, which previously read customer bills, stored them on the company server, and later distributed them to customers.
With the new system, meter readings are automatically stored in the cloud, making them easily accessible to clients.
WASCO ICT Manager, Kamohelo Hlomisi, explained this week that the company had embraced technological advancements, moving away from older meter reading systems.
“WASCO has transitioned from manually recording bills and recording them in exercise books, to using M3 billing machines, and now to more sophisticated gadgets paired with apps,” Mr Hlomisi said.
The new devices come with significantly improved systems, offering greater innovation compared to the previous ones. We have enhanced the system by shifting from server-based storage to cloud-based storage.”
Mr Hlomisi said the new meter reading gadgets allow the WASCO biller to read the meter by taking a photo of the meter box, which is then stored in the cloud as evidence. This change enhances accountability, addressing previous concerns from customers about possibly inflated or estimated bills.
“We have received numerous complaints about bills that customers believed were estimated, as they seemed inconsistent with their regular usage. The new system provides photographic evidence of meter readings, ensuring transparency and accuracy.
“In contrast to the past, we now have concrete evidence to show customers that their meter readings are accurate and not mere estimates,” he said.
Mr Hlomisi also mentioned that the photographic evidence would be useful for meter billers who sometimes face challenges, such as locked gates or unleashed dogs, making it difficult to access meters.
“The new system not only benefits WASCO but is also customer-friendly. Customers can now read their bills through the company’s app. We have introduced apps called ‘My Municipal Meters’ and ‘My Meter App’ for customer self-billing, ensuring there is no foul play in the meter reading process.”
These apps are available for download on Google Play, the Apple Store, and the Huawei Store. Similar to the gadgets, the apps require users to take a photo of their meter before generating a bill, which is then available within seconds, he said.
Mr Hlomisi concluded that the apps will enhance customer satisfaction and reduce the number of complaints related to billing.
