Tangedco unveils app-based meter reading; TUs irked

CHENNAI: Several trade unions opposed the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) implementing meter reading through a mobile app instead of manual reading without trial check and consulting with them.

Tangedco said the mobile app-based assessment is introduced at 10 section offices each in all 44 distribution circles to ensure accurate assessments of energy consumption.

Tangedco has implemented automatic downloading of required billing data from the meters using the optical port and transmitting it to mobile phones through a bluetooth transmitter. The transmitter would receive commands from the mobile phone through the Tangedco Assessment app, exclusively developed for fetching readings automatically from the optical port and spot billing, the official said, adding that the this assessment avoids malpractices in the meter reading.

“At present, meter reading is taken manually by the assessor on a bi-monthly basis by visiting the consumer premises with a handheld device,” the official said, adding that the assessor would write the amount on the white meter card.

The official said only the method of assessment is changed adding, “The assessor’s workload will not be impacted by it.”

Meanwhile, an officer of the COTEE said that it was implemented without any consultation with the trade unions. “Tangedco has not given any mobile phones to the assessor for the new meter reading. They were forced to make use of their mobile phones,” he said.

TNEB Janatha Thozilalar Sangam has written to Tangedco CMD opposing the mobile app-based meter reading, highlighting the difficulties faced by the assessors. “Assessment through the mobile app takes a minimum of five to six minutes for a single reading, thereby only 60–70 readings alone are possible per day in multi-story buildings, and in rural areas, only 35–40 readings alone are possible per day, which results in non-completion of the monthly schedule,” the union said, adding that because of the difficulty in the work, the revenue will correspondingly be reduced.

The union noted that the consumers were not cooperating with removing the meter seal for taking readings and were asked to take readings without removing them.