USAID trains more GEPCO meter readers

250 meter readers have been trained in 2012 so far.

GUJRANWALA:

The USAID on Wednesday held training for meter readers of the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) under its Power Distribution Programme. As many as 250 meter readers at various power distribution companies (DISCOs) have already been trained in the first half of 2012.

The four-and-a-half-year programme aims at training the workers on commercial procedures optimisation, Judy Burnet, a representative of USAID Power Distribution Programme, said.

Addressing the training session, Burnet said that the objective of these trainings was to improve the commercial procedures and efficiency of Discos.

The key topics at the training were improved meter reading, meter change process and finding ways to bring improvements to Discos’ existing procedures by streamlining the flow of documents and eliminating redundancies without compromising transparency and accountability.

Burnet said currently Gepco meter readers, meter reader supervisors and line supervisors of the City Division were being trained.

The primary group will be the meter readers of Model Town subdivision, who, Burnet said, will be implementing the Improved Meter Reading project starting this September. The training involves hands-on work identifying the type of meter and the specific method to read the different meters.

Burnet hoped the training would help improve the workers’ performance with more transparent meter reading which will help them avoid mistakes at billing cycles and provide customers with an accurate monthly electricity bill.

“Improved commercial procedures and understanding of the benefits of adherence to them can lead to better utilisation and that will provide improved revenue, reduced non-technical losses and increased customer satisfaction for the Disco”, Burnet said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2012.