METER READING BY UTILITY CONSUMERS

Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the number of meter-readers employed by the Public Utilities Board and the number of utility consumers who currently read their own meters as at the latest convenient date and (b) whether the Board will consider offering some form of incentives to encourage more consumers to read their own meters.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade and Industry (Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng)(for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister. At present, the Public Utilities Board employs 175 meter readers. As at March 1989, PUB had 836,308 customers. 15,078 (or 1.8%) read their own meters.

Currently, PUB's meter readers read customers' meters once every two months. In the alternate months, PUB offers customers the option of reading their own meters. They can be billed on actual readings instead of estimated consumption. Customers also read their own meters if their premises are not accessible when the PUB meter readers call, although the readers will call again at scheduled times to check the readings.

Under these arrangements, the option for customers to read their own meters is only a service to help them monitor their utility consumption more accurately. It does not replace the work of the PUB meter readers or save costs for the PUB.

PUB's experience with this scheme has been positive. I have asked PUB to consider encouraging more customers to read their own meters, and reducing the frequency of PUB's own meter readings from bi-monthly to quarterly. This should save manpower costs, which can be passed back to customers. The disadvantage is that in households which do not read their own meters, the estimated billings will be less accurate, and the customers may have to pay higher back-charges when the meters are eventually read. PUB has agreed to study this further.