CPS Energy Wins the Stupid Award (San Antonio, Bowie: home, crawl space, to live in)

[sapphire]

And then we'll be reading about the CPS clerk who has possession of all the combos and addresses......and she's sold/given them to her hoodrat friends, and everyone's stuff starts comin' up missing.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by ged_782

Is CPS really going to do this? I know SAWS is supposed to be replacing all existing water meters and cast iron meter boxes with new meters w/plastic meter boxes that transmit the readings wirelessly to a remote location, but this is the first I've heard of CPS doing something like this.

When we put the new wiring in our house in early 2005, the COSA inspector told us this as well - in his suggestion to move the meter to a new place. However, it wasn't set yet and sounds like it's still in the talking phase.

[SA08]

OMG...I just had to laugh...the brilliant ideas that these companies come up with constantly amaze me! They must put crack in their water supply at the office!

[gwrober]

Originally Posted by ged_782

Although the statement in the bill insert reads exactly as you quoted, the only way this would even begin to make sense (and the insert does not state to do this) would be if you attached a slip of paper with your lock combination to the portion of the bill you mail back with your payment, so it can be noted on your account.

I think that this would be worse than leaving the combo out. I'm assuming that they mean for you to leave the combo close to when they would regularly read your meter, and also assuming the homeowner would be smart enough to remove the combo shortly after.

BUT, you can never tell these days! I ain't doin' either.

[Paka]

Why not just post a sign "If your not the meter reader your not allowed"...about as effective....

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by gwrober

I think that this would be worse than leaving the combo out. I'm assuming that they mean for you to leave the combo close to when they would regularly read your meter, and also assuming the homeowner would be smart enough to remove the combo shortly after.

BUT, you can never tell these days! I ain't doin' either.

I would prefer to just leave the gate unlocked around the scheduled meter read dates, instead of disclosing the combo to anyone.

The reason I thought mailing the combo to CPS on a slip of paper made more sense (and I'm still not sure this is what they want customers to do), is because any time I've had to call them for a neighborhood power failure, street light burned out, etc., they always ask the question "is that a gated community?" (it isn't), leading me to believe that the next request would be for the gate code if the answer was "yes".

Can anyone in a gated community without a guard house that is staffed 24/7 confirm that utility providers have to be furnished the gate code in order to gain access to the neighborhood?

[Steel Man]

Originally Posted by ged_782

I would prefer to just leave the gate unlocked around the scheduled meter read dates, instead of disclosing the combo to anyone....

I agree. This is what I do. They have always read the meter on the first date. I then lock the gate that afternoon. CPS (unlike SAWS) is VERY fast at billing and you can go on-line (if you're signed up to pay on-line) and view what you owe the next morning.

[Bo]

Originally Posted by HisLilSecret

How about a key to the place, so the meter reader can come in get himself a snack while we're at it?

I used to live in a city where the water meters were inside the house. If you weren't going to be home to let the water utility in to read the meter, one of the options was to give them their own key.

Since we were never willing to do that, either Mrs. Bowie or I had to stay home from work to let them in once a year to do the reading.

[TexHwyMan]

Originally Posted by mpd33

Awesome info, CPS!

I honestly don't know how they get our meter reading. We have a combo lock, and we never gave them the code... they must jump a 6' fence every month (when the dogs aren't out, or else we'd know about it)!

Typically they'll find a location where they can use binoculars to see the meter.

Originally Posted by TexasNick

Soon the systems will be updated so they just need to drive by and pick up the digital signal from the new boxes. We'll be charged for these boxes over 5 years through a small "bump" in our fees.

Actually, I think most of those types of meters simply transmit the data back to the utility company over the electric line itself.

[djw]

Originally Posted by TexHwyMan

Typically they'll find a location where they can use binoculars to see the meter.



Actually, I think most of those types of meters simply transmit the data back to the utility company over the electric line itself.

According to this: http://www.cpsenergy.com/files/EC_Apr09_eng.pdf (broken link)

I can email a photo of my meter for my monthly reading. Here's my question...how do they KNOW it's a picture of MY meter?