Kesco has started using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to free consumers from wrong bills. With this technology, bills will be generated by capturing the photo of the meter reading, which will eliminate the possibility of human error. The trial for 393901 consumers was successful in August and now it will be continued. This initiative will provide relief to 7 lakh 43 thousand consumers of Kesco.
Electricity New Service: Consumers get upset due to wrong electricity bills and keep visiting the office. So far, different reasons have come to light for bill discrepancies. But the most complaints were about incorrect readings. After which Kesco has started meter reading through OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to improve the billing system.
Electricity bills will be generated by capturing the photo of the meter reading demand through OCR. There will be no possibility of human error in this. In the month of August, Kesco generated bills of 3,93,901 consumers using OCR technology as a trial. After getting positive results, it has been decided to continue it further.
Kesco is spending a budget of one crore rupees
Kesco is spending a budget of one crore rupees to improve the billing system. The work of billing has been handed over to KTL company. This company has started making bills using OCR technology. Till now, meter readers were going door-to-door and checking the billing errors by inserting cables in the consumers’ meters.
After receiving the complaint, Kesco conducted an investigation, which revealed that due to sunlight falling on the meter, the reading is not done properly. Due to which there is an error in the bills. After which Kesco started the trial of OCR. This new system will provide relief to seven lakh 43 thousand consumers of Kesco.
Last year, the trial of OCR was done in Lucknow. After which, now Kesco officials have decided to implement it.
This is how OCR billing is done
In OCR billing, the meter reader captures the photo of the meter reading and demand through the OCR app present in his mobile. After this, after evaluating the reading, the automatic reading and demand comes through the app. The bill is made according to the reading. There is no possibility of human error in this.
These are the main reasons for errors in the bill
- Errors occurred due to TDS table billing by the previous billing company.
- Meter readers did not do probe reading properly.
- Errors occurred in the bills of 25 thousand consumers due to data transfer in the new software.
- Readings were not done on time due to cancellation of the contract of TDS company and the process of new tender.
- Billing was not done correctly due to malfunctioning of meters of three thousand consumers.
OCR billing has been started to end the billing problems of consumers. OCR will end the error in reading. In the month of August, 80% of the OCR billing trials were successful. Samuel Pal N, Managing Director, KESCO
