The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has embraced technology to rid its billing process of errors. The power utility had adopted ‘photo billing’, a technology which captures the reading on the meter and transfers the data to the sub-division. The system has been implemented on a pilot basis in Bangarpet sub-division, Kolar.
How it worksIn photo billing, the meter reader takes a photograph of the readings of units consumed with a special inbuilt 3-MP camera provided to them. The captured images, through GPS, will straightaway get updated in the database installed and monitored in sub-division level. This practice, a release said, will confirm that the meter reader visited the spot and gathered the data.
VerificationLater, while generating the electricity bill, the data gathered and the photo captured can be compared to ensure that the bill amount is proper, the Bescom release said, adding that along with the consumers, this billing system will also help Bescom staff to verify the bill comparing it with the photo stored in the database in case of a dispute.
After Bangarpet, Bescom is planning to implement this technology in other sub-divisions soon.
