Due to Covid-19, the UK government’s current smart meter rollout obligation has been extended and will see rollouts continue until mid-2025. In the meantime, utility companies still face many challenges. Taking manual meter readings can be extremely costly, and estimated billing can cause customers to be mischarged.
However, VoiceSage’s smartphone meter reading solution can solve all of these challenges, saving you time and money in the interim. Our solution offers many of the same advantages as smart meters and is more readily available. Here are some of the main benefits and how it can help utility providers collect meter readings faster.
Be More Cost-Effective
Did you know that mobile meter readings are much more cost-effective than traditional methods? According to a recent cost benefit analysis, avoiding manual meter reading can save utility companies €210 million in costs. By enabling customers to simply submit their own meter reading via Rich Media Messages, you can instantly receive readings, while removing the hefty expense of sending out field service teams.
Improve Your Billing Accuracy
Similarly to smart meters, smartphone meter reading improves your billing accuracy by putting an end to estimated billing. Being incorrectly charged is a huge concern for many customers. According to a consumer survey, 89% of electricity customers cited that eliminating concerns regarding estimated bills was a benefit. By only charging customers for the energy that they use, you can boost customer satisfaction and enhance the customer experience.
Take a look at our solution in action:
Use Smartphone Meter Reading To Save Time
Taking manual meter readings can be extremely time consuming. Depending on the locations of the meters, it can be quite a laboursome and extensive process. However, with mobile solutions, customers can submit meter readings almost instantaneously regardless of their location. Upon receiving their tailored rich media message, they can upload a meter reading in a matter of seconds. It’s so simple to use and over 75% faster than traditional meter reading methods.
Eliminate Data Entry Errors
Adopting a mobile messaging solution also eliminates data entry errors. With our optical character recognition technology, all customers need to do is point their camera at the meter and their device will start scanning. This technology converts the text within their image into machine readable text, so there is no room for human error. Customers can then verify that the number is correct, and you’ll even receive the attached photo, to further ensure that the reading is accurate.
What Are The Next Steps With Smartphone Meter Reading?
We would love to speak with you about how smartphone meter reading is a perfect interim solution to smart meters. If you would like to find out more about how we can help you save time and costs, improve billing accuracy, enhance customer satisfaction, and eliminate data entry errors, book a free demo with our team today.
Published on: 18th September 2020
