Water flow metering devices are installed in apartments of multi-storey buildings. And also in private residential buildings. Water meters are capable of keeping records of cold and hot water; the owner of the property must provide the information received in a timely manner to the appropriate organization. Each apartment resident needs to know how to take water meter readings, as well as what numbers fit into the payment slip and where the results are submitted. If you read the information provided, this process will take a few minutes.
What do the numbers on the meter mean?
A water meter is a complex structure, the components of which are designed to measure the consumption of water consumed by apartment residents. Externally, it looks like a small round device protected by an antimagnetic screen. There is a digital panel on the front - a mechanism that keeps track of the resource. Some dials can rotate 360 degrees, while other meters have additional remote reading capabilities.
To provide correct hot and cold water readings, it is recommended to take a closer look at all the numbers on the device screen:
- The main display is divided into several parts: the first four black digits, up to the decimal point, tell you about the water consumption in the apartment in cubic meters. The next three digits, after the decimal point, are highlighted in red - they indicate water consumption in liters. In some models of water meters, instead of three red numbers, there is an additional small round dial where the flow rate is indicated in liters.
- Technological circular scale of water flow - a small round dial is located in the lower right corner of the meter. It tells you how much water is supplied to the system at the moment.
- Water consumption in liters can be represented by three dials at once in different models. They are used to calculate hundreds, tens and units of liters.
- There are several more numbers above the top digital display; they remain unchanged. This is the index or serial number of the meter - it is entered in the passport, and is also indicated in the relevant acts when the water meter is replaced or repaired.
Some water meter models may have more characters after the decimal point, but this indicator is not decisive. Different meters must be installed for cold and hot water, therefore, the readings will differ. If the apartment has a gas water heater or boiler, then you will need only one meter - for cold water.
Counters
In accordance with the new legislation, apartments in buildings must be equipped with water meters. But even if you do not follow the instructions of the law, then installing water measuring equipment is the optimal solution. It will allow you to use water rationally and save on it. The result will be visible on the payment document from the next month. For those who have not encountered such metering devices, you should know how to take water meter readings and what numbers to write when filling out documents. This information will also be relevant for residents who are doing this not for the first time. An error in taking readings can lead to problems.
How to take water meter readings?
In apartments, two water meters are installed: for cold and hot. In order to easily distinguish the meters, they are painted blue and red. Accordingly, the blue meter is for cold water; it is installed on the bottom of the pipe. Red - for hot, this counter is most often placed on top. If you are not sure whether the devices were installed correctly, there is an easy way to check. It is necessary to open the tap with cold or hot water and see which of the meters has started working. Having made sure that they work correctly and determined where each meter is, you can begin to solve the question of “how to take readings from water meters.” how to take readings from a water meter, what numbers to write?
Taking readings from water meters: how to distinguish between meters Water meters contain a counting device with eight digits. The three left digits are colored red and indicate the number of liters of water consumed. The remaining five digits are colored black. They indicate the amount of water consumed in cubes. When taking readings, you need to look exactly at the black numbers - water consumption in cubes. In this case, the red numbers should also be taken into account. Taking them into account is necessary to round the result up or down.
What numbers do we need to enter into the payment slip?
At the end of each month, citizens must pay utility bills for the use of natural resources. Water is no exception, so before contacting the relevant authorities for payment, you need to understand what numbers to enter on the payment receipt. The document must indicate only the first five digits from the water meter - they are often painted black, so there will be no confusion. These numbers show the water consumption in the apartment at the moment. If the counter was installed recently, the first few digits will be zeros.
Advice! Many people wonder why you shouldn’t indicate the last red digits on your payment slip? This should not be done because these indicators indicate the current water consumption at a certain moment.
Depending on the type of payment receipt, the apartment owner must fill out the appropriate lines. Often, notices or payment books have several fields for entering testimony. There is a small table where the user must enter the current readings and previous ones, based on which they can make a calculation and write down the resulting number - it will tell you how many cubic meters of water were used over a certain period.
Example of reading
Before filling out a water receipt yourself, it is important to make sure the information received is correct. You only need to use the numbers highlighted in black for recording - there will be five of them, so the payment slip has a special line with delimiters for them. Depending on the type of device - roller, electronic or smart meter, the procedure will vary.
How to correctly take water meter readings
The sample will help you carry out the procedure correctly:
- On the eight-roller counter, you must indicate a whole part of the black numbers. If the red numbers have a value less than 499 liters, then they are rounded down, but if the figure exceeds the 500 liter mark, then they must be rounded up.
- If in the first billing period rounding up was done, then next time this is not done, because the unused cubic meters will already be paid for.
- Often, rounding liters or cubic meters does not have much significance - it only creates convenience when providing readings.
Having taken the readings on a separate sheet, they are entered into the payment slip. To make an entry, you need to open the required page, if it is a paybook, or take a notice. In the “Current readings” column, you need to enter the corresponding results, and for the “Previous readings” column, turn to the previous billing period and write down the numbers. For cold and hot water, separate lines must be allocated in the notice, each of which is numbered with the corresponding meter index.
By subtracting the previous values from the current readings, the water consumption for the period is obtained. It is also entered in the appropriate column. By multiplying the amount of water consumed by the tariff figure, the amount to be paid is obtained. This example will help you cope with self-presentation of information.
Procedure for filling out a receipt
A receipt for payment for consumed resources is filled out separately for cold and hot water, taking into account the readings indicated on the display and current tariffs. The meter for cold water is blue, and the hot water meter is red. If a universal product without a characteristic color is installed, the identity is determined by opening the tap and checking the water temperature.
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When filling out the receipt form, the following information is required:
- Full name and address of the payer;
- consumer's personal account number;
- payee's account number;
- payment period (month);
- past and current readings;
- the difference obtained by subtracting the previous value from the current value and indicating the amount of resources consumed;
- amount to be paid, calculated by multiplying the volume by the value of the current tariff.
New form of receipt
The consumer must sign in the designated area on the receipt. There is no prescribed form of the form. The form of the receipt may vary depending on the one adopted by the organization, but the general content of the form includes the features described above.
Detailed instructions for filling out a receipt (will open in a new tab): View
How to correctly take readings from a water meter with an electronic dial
Electronic water meters are practically no different from the mechanical design, but they are dependent on electricity. The display in such devices is represented by a small LCD display, where the consumed water is counted.
There are 5 digits on the screen: the first two digits represent the whole part of the readings, the remaining three digits represent the fractional part of the readings in liters. Both parts are separated by a dot, so there will be no problems when reading information.
Important! Some users round the number to the desired result on electronic meters. For example, if the display shows 24.567 cubic meters, then it is advisable to round the value to 25 cubic meters and enter it into the payment receipt. If you indicate the entire series of numbers in the payment slip, then over time confusion may arise.
An example of taking readings from a water meter
Let's look at the principle of taking readings from one of the meters. So, you installed the meter and its initial readings were equal to 00000351. This value simply indicates that the equipment was tested at the factory. Before you start using the meter, you need to get a special notebook and graph it. The first column will be for the name of the month in which we take readings. The second column will be used for the date on which we take readings. The third column is intended for the digital values themselves from the water meter dial. A fourth column is also needed, in which you need to write the total number of cubic meters of water consumed (optional, used for more accurate home accounting).
How to correctly submit water meter readings by phone and through State Services
Important: to make it convenient, the notebook must be kept in such a way that there are always two sheets in the spread - the left one for hot water, the right one for cold water.
So, enter the name of the month and date in the first and second columns. And in the third we enter the initial meter readings. In the fourth column we write zero for now.
After a period of time (a month), your water meter has collected a certain number of cubic meters of water, which was used for domestic purposes. The readings will be reflected in the black numbers on the drum dial. Perhaps now your data on the meter will be 00015615. You need to write the month and date in the appropriate columns, and in the third - the data shown by the device. Now all that remains is to subtract the smaller number from the larger number, that is, from 00015615—00000351= 00015264. In this case, we discard the last three digits and get the number of consumed cubes of water - 15.
Important: it is allowed to take readings from the meter without taking into account the last three digits located on the red part of the dial. Because liters are not taken into account when paying water bills. Only cubes of water are taken into account. In this case, the count in the notebook may look like this (00015—00000=15). That is, you have used 15 cubic meters of water.
Data is also taken from the second counter in the same way. And it is worth remembering that when calculating the number of consumed cubic meters of water, we always subtract the previous smaller value from the larger value.
How to submit testimony
According to the law, apartment owners must install water meters to measure water consumption. If this is not done, the management company will calculate the amount based on the average indicators for each resident of the apartment. Submit values to the appropriate service in several ways - in writing or via the Internet. Compliance with the deadlines for the transfer of testimony is a determining factor in the preparation of the final amount: if the owner is late with payment, then a penalty will be imposed on him.
In writing
This option is considered the most common and is still relevant. Many apartment owners do not know how to use computers and do not have the ability to access the World Wide Web, so written submission of data remains in demand.
To indicate the amount of resource consumption for a certain payment period, a tear-off notice is used. In some cities of the country there is a certain system:
- the subscriber brings a tear-off sheet with the indicated values to the management company or cash center;
- A special container is placed on the territory of the organization, into which you must place a sheet of notes.
In apartment buildings, the system is simpler: the management company places a small mailbox on the ground floor in the entrance. Once a month, before a certain date, you need to drop a sheet with readings of water consumption in the apartment into it. Each sheet must indicate the apartment number and address of the subscriber.
On the Internet
Recently, apartment owners can register an account on the website of the management organization or settlement center. To do this, just enter your personal account as a subscriber for metering water consumption, as well as your phone number - a code will be sent to it confirming login to your account.
For reference! When submitting readings via the Internet, it will be more convenient for the management company to count all the numbers, because every manipulation of overspending or underpayment will be displayed in the user’s Personal Account.
Every month the user must log into the subscriber’s Personal Account and enter reliable data on water consumption. For this, several columns are often provided: one is responsible for the current values, the second for previous readings. There is no need to enter the previous numbers, as they appear automatically.
After introduction, the system automatically calculates the amount of resource consumed in cubic meters and shows how much the owner needs to pay. Payment is made online if the management company’s website allows it.
Transfer deadlines
Each city and region of the country has its own periods for submitting testimony. Often these dates range from the 25th to the 31st of each month. It is at this time that it is easier for the management company to make calculations and enter information into the program. Some organizations recommend submitting testimony early in the month. Most enterprises insist on timely payment of water costs, since over time the subscriber will be charged interest for failure to pay on time.
If all apartment residents submit information at the same time, the difference between the individual water consumption in the apartment and the general house consumption will decrease. That is why many management companies indicate on special containers the exact deadlines for submitting a sheet with records and apartment number. In addition, on the payment slips themselves there is often an entry asking for information to be submitted no later than a certain date.
Recommendations for recording readings
There is no single sample receipt in the country that can be used to correctly enter water meter readings. In certain regions and cities, these documents may differ, so minor errors may occur when filling out. To prevent this, it is recommended to consider the following tips:
- Readings from the hot water meter must be entered only in the corresponding column marked “DHW”; the same thing happens with information about cold water - they are entered in the column marked “CW”.
- When entering data, it is important to check the number index of the meter - it is indicated on the device itself at the bottom. The corresponding line contains information from this particular counter.
- It is necessary to write down only the first five digits, but if the user writes all 8 digits, then nothing bad will happen. Often, the accounting department can easily navigate and enter only the necessary numbers.
It is important to comply with the timing of verification of metering devices, since after the expiration of this period, readings cannot be submitted: an inspector must visit the apartment and re-seal the meter, checking it for serviceability.
How to transfer meter readings
Meter readings must be submitted by the 25th of each month following the billing period.
Traditionally, this occurs simultaneously with payment for services. However, the consumer can submit meter readings without payment if he has overpaid or the water meter readings have not changed.
By email
Send a message by email (or) indicating your address, personal account, cold and hot water meter numbers and their current readings. Please also include your contact information in the letter. If the meter information is provided with an error, specialists will contact you to correct it.
- The personal account number is located at the top of the invoice for payment of services;
- The meter number can be found both on the printed invoice and on the device itself;
- Counter readings can be transmitted as an integer value or as a fraction. In the second case, liters should be indicated after the decimal point (no more than three characters). On most water meters, black numbers indicate cubic meters and red numbers indicate liters.
Example message:
Tomsk, st. Lenina, 1, apt. 1 l/s 550327 HV – 12071506, readings 39 GV – 5605508, readings 21 Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich, 8-906-ХХХ-ХХХХ
Why transmit hot water meter readings? The DHW line is included in the receipt for heat issued by another organization.
In the Tomsk Settlement receipts it appears only in two cases:
1. To calculate the amount of payment for sewerage. Since the sum of the volume of cold and hot water consumed is the volume of wastewater. In this case, in the “tariff” column for hot water in the invoice there is “0”. The readings are transmitted only for drainage calculations.
2. To calculate the volume of cold water for hot water supply needs. This situation is typical for those houses that have a closed hot water supply circuit, where the water is heated by a common house boiler. In this case, according to the receipt of the Tomsk Settlement Center, the consumer pays for the volume of cold water for the needs of hot water supply (DHW) at the price of cold water. And the consumer pays for heating this water using a receipt from the supplier. According to Russian law, in both receipts (regardless of the supplier) this service must be called “hot water”.
By phone through an operator
What happens if you do not submit meter readings on time?
If there are no readings for 1 to 6 months in a row, accrual is made based on the average readings of water consumption over the last 6 months.
To resume calculations based on water meter readings, you must submit current readings by the 25th. In the next receipt, the consumer will be recalculated based on the volume of water consumed.
In the absence of evidence for more than 6 months, accrual is made according to the standard.
In this case, recalculation will be made only after the consumer provides by e-mail current meter readings and photographs of the IPU, where meter numbers, readings, intact seals and the date of shooting (if possible) are clearly visible. If the device verification deadlines have not passed, the consumer will be recalculated.
How does a water meter with remote reading work?
One of the interesting models of water meters is a meter with remote readings. It works on the following principle:
- the simplest devices in their design contain a reed sensor and a magnet;
- during each passage past the sensor, a low-current pulse appears, which records a certain flow rate;
- to receive pulses there is a special module that converts the data into a form convenient for reading and transmission.
Such a meter eliminates the problem of unreliable readings, but does not eliminate their submission and recording in the receipt. Improved devices transmit information directly to the Internet - to a centralized resource cost accounting system.