If you are connected to a water system, chances are you have a water meter. This informs the company about the amount of water you and any other occupants connected to the meter are using. The company receives this information by meter reading. Reading the meter can collect information
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Annually
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Once a month
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Daily
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Upon request
No matter what the frequency, meter reading may be carried out in one of two major ways. This divides the possible methods into two basic types. These are manual and automated meter reading.
What Is Manual Meter Reading?
As it name strongly indicates, manual meter reading involves someone reading the meter manually. This is the conventional manner. A meter reader comes to your property, residence, residential complex, business or industry and reads the water meter. He or she may do so daily, monthly or annually. It depends upon the client.
The meter reader looks at the dial. He or she then records the information on an electronic device. This information is sent to the supplier. The company then prepares and sends out your bill. Sometimes, no actual reading is done. Instead, the water company estimates the usage and bills accordingly.
The manual system requires trained personnel. Nevertheless, errors in recording and subsequent billing may result. As a result, the company may need to send someone out to do a meter reading all over again. This potential for error is one reason why companies turn to automated systems.
What Is Automated Meter Reading?
Automated meter reading or AMR is a system that allows the company to read meters from a distance. The company receives information from the installed meter. It then knows the amount of water you, your family, business and/or industry are using. It can view the volumes for individual units or for an entire complex. The data will provide the company and, therefore the owner or resident with pertinent information on his or her water consumption not only over the traditional month or two, but also over a period of hours or daily.
To accomplish this requires the installation of what is known as a Smart Meter. Tis electronic device makes meter reading from a distance not only feasible but also easy. The company converses with the meter from a distance. This allows remote control reading of meters. No meter reader needs to visit the home or other structure to obtain the figures. There is also no need to estimate.
Meter Reading
Currently, two main systems of reading meters exist. The traditional or conventional method involves the employment of a trained individual to arrive at your building to read them. This is the manual method. It is the one that is most common in the United States.
In contrast, is the automated system (AMR). It collects the information remotely, sending it directly to the company or other supplier. While both systems are actively employed in America, the current environmental and economic conditions are indicating a rise in AMR usage. It has the potential to surpass manual meter reading as the world increasingly moves towards conservation of all its natural resources.