Ruff days for meter readers
by Shae Ishimoto | Oct. 30, 2019
Have you ever wondered how your energy use is collected to generate your electric bill? Most homes still have meters that need to be physically read to give customers an accurate billing statement. (We have plans to install advanced wireless meters over the next few years, reducing the need for manual reading). Although the task of meter reading may sound simple, our meter readers face numerous obstacles that prevent them from doing their jobs. One of the biggest challenges they contend with each day is man’s best friend!
Let’s get this straight — we love dogs just as much as our customers. However, within the past year our meter readers, particularly those on Maui, Oahu and Hawaii Island, have reported a few incidents in which they were bitten by a homeowner’s dog. At the Hawaiian Electric Companies, we want to ensure the safety of all our employees, which is why we implemented the following policy across the five islands we serve: If a dog is in the way of getting to the meter, our employees are not allowed to enter the property.
So, what did our employees do to get a reading from the meter if a dog was present in the past — before this policy was put in place? I sat down with Regan Matsukawa, a meter reading supervisor at Hawaiian Electric, for a better understanding.
Regan explained that several years ago there were many incidents on Oahu involving our field service workers suffering dog bites. He even shared how he had his fair share of dog encounters when he was assigned to meter reading. Regan recalled how he used the antenna from his meter reading device as a distraction for the dog to bite first, allowing him enough time to get away. These devices are essential for our employees to do their jobs. When they’re used as the first line of defense against dogs, they become expensive chew toys. Today, all our meter readers carry a Bulli Ray dog bite stick to help protect them in situations where they may encounter a dog.
“We don’t want to risk the chance of having one of our workers getting bit, even if the dog seems harmless,” Regan said. “I remember when I was a meter reader. At that time, it used to be a judgment call on whether I could handle the dog or not.” Regan stressed the safety of our employees when they’re out in the field dealing with customers’ dogs. It’s better to be safe than sorry. This means that none of our meter readers will enter a property to do a meter reading where a customer’s dog may be in the path of the actual meter.
So what happens if we are unable to read your meter?
If we can’t get a reading on your meter for the month, we ask that our customers help us by reading their own meter. We will send customers mail-in cards to fill out and send back to our company for meters that we are unable to access. That way we can get an accurate reading of the electricity usage for the month. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to read your meter! Instructions are provided on the cards to help you fill them out. If you don’t want to fill out a card, you can provide us with a photograph of the meter and attach it to an email reminder that we send out.
Here are some tips for customers to help our meter readers do their job safely and efficiently:
- First, spread the message about our dog policy. We want to make sure that all of our customers know that when our meter readers come around, it’s important to secure your dog away from the meter. This helps our meter readers do their jobs safely.
- Second, keep your information updated with us. Let us know if you have a dog or inform us when you no longer have one. You can do so by filling out an online form.
- Lastly, please be sure to provide safe access for our readers to view your meter. We ask that customers trim vegetation that could obstruct access or view of the meter.
We know that so many of our customers are proud dog owners, but it’s no longer a judgment call for our meter readers. They will not enter a property to read the meter if Fido is not secured at a safe distance from the meter. We don’t want our employees to become your pet’s next chew toy. Ouch!
Shae Ishimoto is a social media coordinator at Hawaiian Electric Company.
