5 elementary ways to submit readings of water meters without leaving your home
If you use utilities, it is important to timely submit meter readings to the company that provides these services. A personal visit to a company's office is a waste of time and nerves, waiting in lines. Plus, cash registers in offices are usually open at the same time when you need to be at your workplace. How to give readings from water meters without leaving home, how quickly the service provider will receive this information, the pros and cons of different options for remote data transmission - we will discuss all these issues in today's article.
Save yourself the trouble of wasting time in queues, explore modern methods of transferring data about services via the Internet and phone
The content of the article [Hide]
- 1 When to transfer meter readings for water
- 2 What is the threat of untimely transmission of water meter readings
- 3 How to take readings of water meters correctly
- 4 How to check the correctness of water meter readings and calculate the flow rate for a month
- 5 What to do if you made a mistake and incorrectly transmitted the readings
- 6 How can you send meter readings for water
- 7 Summing up: the advantages and disadvantages of the listed methods of giving indications
When to transfer meter readings for water
Water consumption data must be submitted every month. If you do this regularly, at the same time, then your payments will not accumulate interest. In addition, it will be convenient for you to control your spending.
An important question - what days of the month should you do this? It turns out that in each case, the day of data transfer by water meters can be different. Most often, vendor companies set a general collection period, and this is the last week of the month. The term can be fixed in the contract between the supplier and the consumer, pay attention to this point. Another option for setting the date is from the moment the counter was installed. That is, if the device was installed on the 15th, then the first and subsequent payments should be made on the 15th.
It is better to check with the management company or Vodokanal on what dates they expect information from you, and stick to this schedule
What is the threat of untimely transmission of water meter readings
You may well have a situation when it was not possible to transfer the readings of water meters to the management company in due time. You were on vacation, business trip, hospitalized, or simply forgotten - anything can happen. Don't panic. A single pass does not threaten anything terrible. According to the established procedure, you will be automatically calculated the expense according to the data of the last month.
Moreover, if your forgetfulness lasted three months, then all three months will be accrued in this way.
But after three months (in some cities after 6 - it all depends on the supplying company) you will receive a receipt with an unpleasantly increased amount. Why? Because from that moment on, the calculation will take place according to the standards, and they, as a rule, increase the cost of services by one and a half times. In your absence, the supplier cannot get the meter readings, they are in your apartment, so the calculation will be made to the maximum. So if you realized it in time - go to the multifunctional center at your place of residence with a passport and real evidence and resolve this issue with a company representative.
An MFC employee will enter the necessary information into the database, and the issue will be resolved
If you realized yourself at the wrong time, it doesn't matter either. Overpaid funds will not be lost. Again, go with the correct meter reading and just don't pay in the following months until you select the overpaid amount.
How to take readings of water meters correctly
There are water, electricity and gas meters in every apartment and in almost every house. This is not a tribute to fashion or a concession to supply companies - this is a real saving method for every homeowner. And although it is extremely simple to use these metering devices, we will nevertheless devote a few lines to the question of how to take readings of water meters. The fact is that although the procedure for taking readings is extremely simple, there are still some common mistakes. Inaccuracies in data recording entail unnecessary expenses, especially if you pay, in addition to cold, and hot water at higher rates.
It looks like a water meter
Let's start by looking for a counter. If you recently bought or rented an apartment, it is forgivable that you do not know its location. Start your search in the bathroom or toilet - metering devices are installed there in apartment buildings. Another, less likely option is under the kitchen sink. If your house has hot water supply, then there should be two meters, and they are located on two risers. As a rule, the cold water meter is marked in blue, the hot one in red.
If there are no marks, just touch the pipes. Find a warm one - a hot water meter is installed on it
If you are looking for a device during the period when maintenance work is being carried out, and you cannot determine which of the pipes will soon supply hot water, open the cold water supply tap and look at which device the wheels are spinning.
Which numbers are important on the counter, and which are not
Consider a metering device. You will see eight numbers on it. Five of them are in black and white, three are in red and white. Red numbers show liters, black - cubic meters. To transfer readings for cold or hot water, you need to record the data of black numbers.
This is how the information on the counter looks
How to write correctly: write down all five black numbers in a notebook, and round the last one up if the red ones show the sum of more than five hundred.The resulting five-digit number should be entered on the receipt.
You can check the absence of leaks in this way: turn off all taps and look at the meters. If the counter wheel is spinning, even slowly, look for the leak.
There are unpleasant moments when you really have to pay for air. If preventive work was carried out with the pipeline in the house, then after turning on the tap, an air lock will come out. And the meter will spin as if you are consuming water.
It's a pity, but there is nothing you can do about it. The only option is not to open the tap as long as possible in the hope that the neighbors will release the airlock.
A small video on how to take readings correctly:
Related article:
How to check the correctness of water meter readings and calculate the flow rate for a month
Before transferring the meter readings for hot or cold water, check if it works correctly. Eliminate the possibility of leakage as described above. Then prepare a large-volume container, the displacement of which you know for sure, and fill it. Pre-record the data of the red numbers. If you have filled a 40-liter tank and the readings have increased by exactly 40 liters, everything is in order. If the result is less than 40 liters, this is not a reason for sadness, but an alarming symptom. This means that the meter is out of order, and it will still have to be changed, since these deviations can be detected by Vodokanal employees.
If the readings are higher, immediately run to the nearest plumbing store for a new device and send an application to the management company to change the device
Now about how to calculate water consumption using the readings of water meters. To do this, you need two numbers: last month's reading and current data. For example, the receipt for the last month contains 50,020 cubic meters, and the current readings are 50032. We subtract the information from the previous receipt from today's data and get 12. It turns out that 12 cubic meters of water are payable.
What to do if you made a mistake and incorrectly transmitted the readings
It also happens: they forgot to wear glasses and wrote down the numbers incorrectly. They submitted information, and then saw that they were mistaken. It is possible to remedy the situation, although it is troublesome. We'll have to invite a representative of the management company and, with his participation, draw up a reconciliation act and thus make corrections.
It makes sense to start this whole story only if the difference in readings has a significant impact on the water bill.
How can you send meter readings for water
If you do not have the time and opportunity to personally come to the office of the management company, you can use alternative options for transmitting water meter readings:
You can choose any of the listed methods and evaluate how convenient it is.
You don't even need to leave home and adjust to work hours and weekends
Let's see how to do this in practice.
How to submit water meter readings via the Internet: three options
If you have a computer in your home and it is connected to the World Wide Web, you can forget about queues at the box office. You not only do not need to think about how to pass readings of water, gas and electricity meters, but also how to pay. This can also be done in a non-cash way via the Internet.So, how to transfer the readings of water meters via the Internet? Let's take a look at the available ways to present information.
Personal account on the service provider's website
To use this option, you still have to visit the company's office once. Make your employees aware of your desire to communicate information in this way. You will be given the website address and data for entering your personal account: login and password. By the way, you can find the website address on the receipts.
After that, you just have to go to the specified address, enter your username and password and follow the instructions of the system
In your personal account, you can fill in the readings of water meters, and the next time you enter new data, the system will remind you the numbers of the last month. If you wish, you can change the password to your own, which is easier for you to remember. But in any case, it is better to write down the data for entering the site somewhere in a memorable notebook. If you forget your password, you will have to go to the office again to restore access.
How to submit readings of water meters through the website "Gosuslugi"
The service for submitting information is also available on the State Services website. More and more cities are joining this system. On this site, you can not only submit information from metering devices, but also contact on any issue related to state and municipal institutions. To apply through this portal, you will have to visit a multifunctional center in your city and submit your personal data for registration.
You will need to enter your details in the form, confirm your mobile phone number and email address
After confirming the registration, proceed: go to the "Housing and Utilities" section and follow the instructions of the system. It is possible that you will be asked to enter the registration number of the device or the payer's code.
Transfer of information via email
If the service provider provides such an opportunity, you can submit information for settlement via email. Any of your addresses will do for this, it doesn't matter if the mail is open on mail.ru, yandex.ru or somewhere else. The main thing is that you have the email address of the service provider. Carefully study the receipt for payment, usually the address is indicated on it, if the company in this way accepts the readings of water meters.
How can I submit the readings of water meters via the phone
If you don't have internet, you probably have a telephone - landline or mobile. It is also suitable for transmitting information. There are two ways, let's look at them.
Through a landline phone
Examine the water receipt again. It must have a landline telephone, which is used to receive information. Dial this number. It is possible that a robot will answer you. He will slowly give you recommendations, and you have to follow them. You need to enter data using the phone buttons in tone mode.
It is much easier if the operator answers you
Prepare your previous receipt and new readings before calling. You need to inform the operator of your data, address and metering device data.
Via SMS
Ask the management company if it is possible to transfer data through short messages. Usually, the algorithm is as follows - messages are sent to a short number, the text contains the payer's code, device number and current meter readings.
Related article:
How easy and simple Summing up: the advantages and disadvantages of the listed methods of giving indications
So, we found out how important it is to correctly record the readings of the meter. Each of these filing methods has its pros and cons. On the one hand, all options for transferring information via the Internet are a significant saving of time and nerves.On the other hand, not everyone has access to the World Wide Web, and certain difficulties may arise for older people who are hesitant to use computer equipment.
And the registration procedure on some resources causes difficulties, not everyone will have the patience to bring the matter to the end
In addition, not all service providers are ready to work via the Internet: in villages and small towns, not everyone has mastered this technique. The phone is an easy way to present information, but you need to have time and patience to get through to the operator, and it is easy to make mistakes when entering SMS.
Our advice, focus on one way of presenting information, study it thoroughly and feel free to use it. If you have any additions and comments on this topic - write in the comments!
Loading... See also:
Practical advice on how to choose a flow-through main water filter for an apartment and a summer residence 
Plastic pipes for water supply. Sizes and prices in the domestic market 
Why is a hydraulic accumulator useful for water supply systems? 
Water supply of a private house from a well: a project from "A" to "Z" with useful tips 
A detailed guide on where to go and what to do if the neighbors from above are flooded 
What are the metal crimp clamps: the difference between fasteners and repair
