Historically, data was collected by sending a meter reader into the field. The data collected was then manually copied from the meter reader’s book into the company's billing system when the reader returned to the office. This method of reading meters has several disadvantages including human error, employee safety issues, disruptions in meter reading schedules due to weather or access to the meter, and the labor costs associated with maintaining a force of meter readers. And for a utility, any delay in recording meter data can result in delays in receiving revenues, potentially causing cash flow issues.
Most utilities are now moving as many customers as possible to automated meter reading, or AMR, to address these issues. An interim step now in common use is to install devices on meters that allow the meter data to be transmitted a short distance. To collect this data the meter reader drives past the meters with a device that receives and records meter data from the truck. As utilities install more robust advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), meter reading can be done remotely and automatically by software located on utility servers. The data is reviewed automatically for quality, and then directly transmitted into the billing system. This saves the cost of employing meter readers and significantly reduces the possibility of erroneous billing data.