Every month, citizens permanently or temporarily residing in Russia receive bills for utility bills. Among them are receipts from an energy sales company that provides electricity supply services to the population.
In order to pay the supplier, the owner of a private house or apartment must take the readings of the electricity meter and transfer them using one of the methods described below.
Electricity Control
Independent control of electricity metering devices was not always carried out. Until 2012, employees of the company supplying electricity monthly traveled around the jurisdictional territories and took meter readings in order to then generate receipts and issue an invoice.
Now "communication" with the counter for homeowners has become familiar. It is necessary to monthly carry out the procedure for taking and transmitting accurate readings of electricity. In the same way, data from cold / hot water meters and gas meters are taken, the installation of which is not yet mandatory.
Even 6 years ago, electricity users did not have to follow the numbers flickering on the meter display. Their task was to pay receipts on time.
But the employees of Energosbyt remained the function of control over the fulfillment of duties by residents. At least once every six months they check the metering devices for correct reading. Typically, the meters are located on the floor, in an apartment panel or in a street box installed at the line entrance to a private house.
In private houses, the devices are installed in a metal box on the wall of the house or on a pole so that the inspector has access to the testimony
If the shield is inside the apartment or house, the owner must, upon request, let a representative of the supplier company or housing office. To prevent fraudsters from taking the opportunity to get into someone else’s apartment, the inspectors should check their documents or make a call to the organization’s office.
Readings are taken monthly. If the data are not received on time, average amounts are charged for six months. After six months, the accepted standards are indicated on the receipt.
In case of suspicion of distortion of the meter readings, electricity providers have now begun to practice the installation of antimagnetic seals. The rules of its fastening and features of use will be introduced by the article recommended by us.
How to take readings?
All counters, regardless of brand, have an electronic display or a plastic panel on which numbers are clearly visible. They show how many kilowatt hours the device “wound” over the entire time it was running. The average number of digits is 6-7, but there are exceptions.
When writing off or storing numbers, you do not need to consider decimal places - these are tenths / hundredths of a kW / h. In order to calculate the amount of electricity spent over the past month, it is necessary to subtract the previous ones from the current readings.
Then you need to multiply the result of the calculations by the cost of 1 kW / h.
Calculation example:
April 25, 2018 4302 kW / h
May 25, 2018 4452 kWh
cost of 1 kW / h - 4.44 rubles
(4452 - 4302) x 4.44 = 150 x 4.44 = 666 rubles
Rates in different regions of the country, urban / rural areas are different, they can be clarified in the service company.
Photo instruction hint:
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Select a specific day to take readings
Checking the health of the meter
Committing data from a counter
Energy metering
What are the risks of transmitting data for light? If less kWh is mistakenly indicated, the difference can be supplemented next month. Overpayment is also fearless - in the future you will have to pay less. If the overpayment amount is large, you can write a statement to make the recalculation and return the money.
Overview of data transfer methods
There are several ways in which homeowners can send current meter readings to a supplier or reseller. They are aimed at different groups of the population, but most of them are connected with the remote sending of data by telephone and the Internet.
Thanks to new schemes, lines have disappeared, and consumers have more time to solve their personal affairs.
Option # 1 - Phone Call
The most popular way is to make a phone call to a call center or UK. All contact numbers by which you can reach the operators or answering machine are indicated on the receipt, there you can also find the opening hours of organizations receiving calls.
To optimize the process of receiving data, an answering machine is connected, the user only needs to follow his recommendations - press the corresponding numbers on the phone keypad or voice the readings with a voice message. It only takes a few minutes to complete the procedure.
Given that the call center’s hours are usually from 8.00 to 20.00, you can choose the most suitable time and transfer the data without haste. Some informants working in auto mode are available around the clock.
There is another way for those who are used to communicating with living people. To do this, you must contact the operator and leave evidence, answering his questions.
In management companies, a separate employee is usually responsible for receiving these metering devices. On certain days (for example, from the 22nd to the 25th day) he receives calls and enters them into the Energy Sales program. Thus, representatives of the Criminal Code control the timely payment of bills by residents.
The advantages of telephone data transfer are convenience and time saving. During a call to the UK, you can transfer the data of all the meters installed in the apartment.
On the other hand, consumers often face the fact that the line is constantly busy, and dialing up takes a lot of time. For voice messages, recording errors may occur if some values are transmitted indistinctly.
Option # 2 - SMS message
For people who are accustomed to quickly type SMS messages on the phone, data transfer is no more than 1 minute. The only difficulty is a specific text template. If you break it, the message either simply does not reach, or an error occurs in the calculation of the amount.
To transfer data, you need to know the following data:
- telephone number of the organization receiving the testimony;
- your personal account;
- current data taken from the meter.
Some companies require a symbolic designation of the tariff at which payment is made.
A sample text message that needs to be dialed on the phone to transfer data from the counter. The personal account can be found in the receipt, the readings are numbers from the display of the device to the decimal point
Sending SMS messages is an excellent outlet for consumers who do not use the Internet. It is also convenient to send data in the form of text to everyone who is away. The service is free, but money will be withdrawn from the phone account according to the tariff plan, if there is no package of free SMS. The advantage of the method is the ability to send data at any time of the day.
Option # 3 - in your personal online account
Especially for active Internet users, several virtual data transfer schemes have been developed; one of them is implemented on the website of the supplier company.
But before you start transmitting the readings of the electricity meter, you need to register by indicating e-mail. If there is no mailbox, you need to get it. After confirming the registration, you can go to the site from where the testimony is transmitted online.
Procedure:
- follow the link “pass the testimony”;
- enter personal data (client or personal account number);
- choose a tariff or account number of the device;
- enter the current data, while in the next column indicators for the last month will be displayed.
Payment is calculated automatically, so all numbers and, if necessary, spaces and other characters should be carefully entered.
Plus registration on the site - access to additional useful information. You can study the advantages and disadvantages of various tariffs, find out the news, see the statistics of energy consumption
If you have any questions about payment, changing the meter or servicing, you can use the "Feedback" service.
Option # 4 - Email
To send testimonies by e-mail, it is enough to know the exact address of the organization supplying electricity. In addition, you must remember the sending template, since mail is processed automatically.
The electronic message resembles the text typed for SMS: usually the personal account number and current readings of the meter are indicated.
It is convenient to transfer data to an electronic mailbox for users who are used to working in mail services and are forced to check their mail every day
You cannot enter extra characters and spaces. For any violation of the template, data processing becomes impossible, and the accrual for the current month will not correspond to reality.
Option # 5 - in the network group "In Contact"
Some of the most advanced companies have created their own groups in the VKontakte network - the most popular, covering the largest number of different social groups and representatives of all generations.
In addition to the testimony transfer service, there you can find a lot of relevant information on payment, on the use of electricity and metering devices.
The information on the pages of the group is updated daily, with some news relating to general provisions, others concerning issues affecting specific areas
In the same group you can find useful links to the website of the supplier organization, and other interesting information resources.
Option # 6 - in the center of Energosbyt
This method is suitable only for urban residents, as the company's offices are located where a large number of people live.
In provincial towns, they usually arrange a single center for everyone, and in megacities, for the convenience of service, several offices in all large microdistricts.
You have to visit the office during inter-settlement periods and in cases where there is a change in the electricity supplier. It is sometimes helpful to contact consultants to resolve contentious issues.
The operator with whom direct communication takes place performs the same actions that a consumer could independently perform in the Personal Account on Energosbyt's website - enter testimonies in certain columns in a special program.
Contacting a company that supplies electricity to the public is the most reliable way out of the way. Nevertheless, he has his own minus - you need to find free time to visit.
Option # 7 - when paying with a plastic card
Not the most popular way that many cardholders are not even aware of. In fact, using it you can immediately solve two problems: pay bills for the last month and transfer current data.
The transfer occurs during the “communication” with the ATM. A program is offered in the computer of the device, offering to enter readings. By following the instructions, you can quickly transfer the required information - meter data
If you get used to this scheme and do not forget to use it, you can save a lot of time that goes into trying to reach the operator or filling out receipts.
Option # 8 - a box for receiving data
Some regions organize data collection through a special box installed in a public place. Volumetric boxes are installed directly on the floor, small - on the table.
It is not difficult to find out their purpose - on the front side they usually place the Energosbyt logo and a “talking” inscription.
There are few boxes, so they can be found where there is a large crowd of people: in large stores or shopping centers, at the post office, in Sberbank branches or at the offices of Energosbyt
To send testimony, you must fill in the spine of the receipt, which came by mail, or enter the data in a special form. Then just drop the paper into the slot of the box.
This method is suitable for people who are far from the Internet and rarely use the phone — pensioners who are used to acting “the old way”.
Video # 1. Data transfer on Energosbyt website:
Video # 2. Example of transmitting testimony by phone:
Video # 3. What to do if it is difficult to get through:
Data transmission of metering devices is the responsibility of all users of electric energy. So that the procedure runs quickly and does not cause difficulties, you just need to choose the most convenient way.
The process of delivering testimonies and paying utility bills on time should become a habit, and then there will be no problems with the authorities that ensure a comfortable life for homeowners.
Tell, in what way do you transmit the data taken from the meter? Share useful information on the topic of the article. Please leave comments, post photographs and ask questions in the block below.