HCMCity (VNS/VNA) - The HCM CityPower Corporation (EVNHCMC) plans to complete the installationof electronic meters connected to a remote data collection system forall customers in the city next year.

Under the Government's direction on the use of informationtechnology, EVNHCMC is installing smart meters for AutomaticMeter Reading (AMR) with the aim of having an Advanced MeteringInfrastructure (AMI).

As of September, the corporation had installed nearly 1.5 millionelectronic meters with the function of transmitting telemetry data,accounting for 56.7 percent of the total number of customers.

Bui Trung Kien, deputy general director of the corporation, said the freereplacement of existing meters aims to improve the quality of infrastructureand customer services.

The electronic meters provide higher accuracy and can help monitor powerconsumption, resulting in power savings. They are also integrated withcommunication technologies to support remote automatic meter reading.

Data collection by this method helps to monitorthe operation status of substations and cables, and improves grid safety.

“It will also improve labour productivity and reducelabour costs and risks of human errors,” Kien said. Workers'accidents on the job are also expected to be reduced.

Nguyen Thi Hong Lien, a customer in District 10, said she nowpays her electricity bill through customer service softwareon mobile phones.

“It's convenient because my husband and I are reallybusy with work, and often go abroad for a long time, so no oneis at home to make direct payments to EVNHCMC employees,” she said.

Trinh Minh Long, a customer in Tan Phu district, said: “Throughonline payment, I can directly pay my electricitybills through internet banking."

All electronic meters were bought byEVNHCMC through competitive bidding and are in compliance withcurrent bidding regulations, according to Kien.

The technical specifications for the procurement of meters were determined incompliance with EVN requirements, international electrical technicalstandards IEC: 62052-11 and IEC: 62053-21, and Vietnam’s technical regulationson measurement management.

Before installation, the meters are approved based on qualifiedsamples and inspected under procedures issued by the Directorate forStandards, Metrology and Quality under the Ministry of Science andTechnology.

“The electricity sector only installs meters with satisfactorytesting results in order to ensure accurate operation and use,” Kien said.

Customers can directly call EVN’s customer care centre if they have questions.The centre will notify the power company and send employees to thecustomer's house to handle any failure within a day or less.

Customers can also monitor their power consumption anytimeand anywhere through a customer care application installed on theirphone or other digital devices. This can help customersadjust their power consumption.

“The electronic meters also improve data transparencyand communication with customers,” Kien said.

Through online data tracking, the electricity sector will be able to promptlydetect incidents and solve them as promptly as possible.

The Da Nang Power Company has installed electronic metersapplying the remote data transmission system to all of its customers. Thecompany was the first unit under EVN's Central PowerCorporation (EVNCPC) to apply daily electricity data lookup software andprovide a trial use for customers.

This system automatically sends alerts on power consumption throughthe telemetry system, and automatically sends alerts aboutconsumption exceeding the threshold set by the customer, sending theinformation to the customer via email and SMS./.