Driven by our commitment to enhance customer support, HEDNO has initiated the monthly meter readings, set to be completed nationwide in the upcoming days.

 

The frequency of metering varies in other European power supply companies. For example, the French company EDF is registering meter readings every 6 months, the Belgian SPE, the Norwegian  Hafslund and the Swedish EON are taking meter readings every 12 months, the Scottish Power every 24 months and the Dutch NUON every 36 months. However, the consumption is calculated based on the “estimated” readings, usually every month and the set off is realized when the meter readings are taken.

The meter readings are taken by permanent Company personnel, but also by private contractors. The contractors notify HEDNO S.A. on their personnel, who is insured and properly trained by the permanent Company personnel before undertaking its duties.

The meter, which is highly accurate equipment, is located in the property of the customer who can take the readings any time. The metering is conducted on specific dates which are made known by HEDNO to each electricity Supplier for its notification. So, the consumer is given the possibility to take the meter readings by himself on the specific date in order to compare-confirm them with the readings taken by HEDNO S.A..

The meter readings are taken and registered by the HEDNO customer service IT system which checks them. If the readings taken are not in accordance with the consuming habits of the specific customer, the system rejects the metering and asks for its confirmation.  

Even though the Company applies control mechanisms for the readings taken, the possibility of incorrect readings registration cannot be excluded.  The incorrect metering percentage is very small and humanly impossible to be eliminated given the problems that occur during the metering process:  hundreds of readings (5-digit or 6-digit numbers) which are related to “numbers of supplies” (8-digit numbers) taken every day by one person under difficult external conditions or in even more difficult internal conditions (meters located in basements of block of apartments without light etc).    Even in more advanced types of remote metering (which are now tested in pilot programs) there are some small possibilities of errors. Even in these rare cases, our consumers are not affected, as it is explained below in the following paragraphs.

These cases are dealt immediately by the Company. Specifically:

a) If it is concluded that the readings were taken incorrectly, following the consumer’s or Supplier’s request, then they are corrected immediately. 

b) But even if the consumer doesn’t raise any question, then, on the next metering the correct reading will be taken and the correction will be made automatically by the system.

The metering schedule applied by HEDNO S.A. is specific and it is generally kept without deviations.  However, there is a possibility that in certain cases the meter readings won't be taken upon the scheduled metering date due to either impossible access to the meter or force majeure (e.g. bad weather conditions, technical problem, etc.).

If the registration of meter readings is not possible due to impossible access to the meter location, the person who takes the readings attaches on the property a notice with which the consumer is notified that he can provide by phone the meter readings within a specific period of time. If the consumer does not respond, then the IT system proceeds to the estimation upon consumption.

If the meter readings are not taken due to force majeure, then HEDNO S.A., having as criterion the provision of services in favor of the customer, adopts again the procedure of estimation upon consumption.

The estimation is calculated automatically by the customer service IT system. It is based on the specific algorithm that consists of the historical consumption data, such as the consumption of the equivalent period of the previous year. Consequently, the estimated consumption does not significantly differ from the actual bimonthly period consumption, unless the customer’s consuming habits are differentiated within the last period of time.