The inspection programme, originally planned over a 12-month period, is now expected to be completed in half the time.
With rural areas from Milford in the north to St Andrews in the south currently in focus, inspectors are planning to move further south to Waimate, Otaio, Makikihi, Hunter, Morven, Glenavy, Elephant Hill, Ikawai and Waihao from next week.

New Government requirements mean all electricity meters in South Canterbury need to be checked for compliance. Our inspectors are currently working in the Milford, Levels, Washdyke, Pareora, St Andrews, Maungati and Claremont areas.

ALPINE ENERGY and its operations company Netcon have been making excellent progress in a Government-required electricity meter inspection campaign across South Canterbury.The inspection programme, originally planned over a 12-month period, is now expected to be completed in half the time.
From today inspectors have begun visiting homes and businesses in the Milford, Levels, Washdyke, Pareora, St Andrews, Maungati and Claremont areas. With Fairlie, Pleasant Point, Geraldine, Temuka as well as most of Timaru already covered, the rural focus will widen over the next few weeks to cover areas from the Rangitata River in the north to the Waitaki River in the south as well as inland areas.
Alpine Energy commercial manager Daniel Roos says inspectors use a small hand-held device to capture technical data from each meter. No wires are connected or disconnected and the process takes only about five minutes.
Results so far show that up to 52 per cent of the regions meters will need to be replaced to meet the Government's requirements. Locating meters around farms has proven a challenge, Mr Roos said.
He asked that farmers and staff leave a note on their house door indicating where the meters were.

"If you're not home when we call you will receive a call back card in the mail box. Please contact the number on the card and arrange a convenient time for the assessor to re-visit."

The inspection programme originally planned over a 12-month period is now expected to be completed in half the time. Inspectors are currently working in townships and rural areas north of Timaru up to the Rangitata River visiting each property systematically and using a small hand-held device to capture technical data from each meter. No wires are connected or disconnected.

Fairlie, Pleasant Point, Geraldine as well as most of Timaru have already been covered and from next week the focus will shift to Milford, Levels, Washdyke, Pareora, St Andrews, Maungati and Claremont areas.

Alpine Energy commercial manager Daniel Roos says his inspectors are pleased with the response they are receiving from the community, the first time the whole of South Canterbury is being surveyed. Results so far show that up to 52 per cent of the regions meters will need to be replaced to meet the Government's requirements. Locating meters around farms has proven a challenge, Mr Roos said. "We've been criss-crossing farmyards and buildings looking for them," he said. He asked that farmers and staff leave a note on their house door indicating where the meters were. The assessments generally only take five minutes, he said. "If you're not home when we call you will receive a call back card in the mail box. Please contact the number on the card and arrange a convenient time for the assessor to re-visit."

Alpine Energy would like to advise residents that electricity meter inspectors from Netcon are currently visiting properties in your area. The survey is part of Government meter compliance requirements and is separate to normal meter reading procedures. Netcon inspectors will be clearly identified.

• This survey is not part of normal meter reading procedures
• The survey takes about 5 minutes and no wires are connected or disconnected
• There is no charge for this inspection
• You do not need to do anything except provide thers friendly well identified inspectors with access to your meters inside your home.

"They will be wearing identification labels and companybranded apparel and each auditor is expected to visit up to 32 homes a day," he said. The staff would call at propertiesin the normal meter-reading manner during the normal working day. They would not be calling at night, Mr Roos said.

Alpine Energy would like to advise residents that electricity meter inspectors from Netcon are currently visiting properties in your area. The survey is part of Government meter compliance requirements and is separate to normal meter reading procedures. Netcon inspectors will be clearly identified.

• This survey is not part of normal meter reading procedures
• The survey takes about 5 minutes and no wires are connected or disconnected
• There is no charge for this inspection
• You do not need to do anything except provide thers friendly well identified inspectors with access to your meters inside your home.

"They will be wearing identification labels and companybranded apparel and each auditor is expected to visit up to 32 homes a day," he said. The staff would call at propertiesin the normal meter-reading manner during the normal working day. They would not be calling at night, Mr Roos said.

Alpine Energy would like to advise residents that electricity meter inspectors from Netcon are currently visiting properties in your area. The survey is part of Government meter compliance requirements and is separate to normal meter reading procedures. Netcon inspectors will be clearly identified.

• This survey is not part of normal meter reading procedures
• The survey takes about 5 minutes and no wires are connected or disconnected
• There is no charge for this inspection
• You do not need to do anything except provide thers friendly well identified inspectors with access to your meters inside your home.

"They will be wearing identification labels and companybranded apparel and each auditor is expected to visit up to 32 homes a day," he said. The staff would call at propertiesin the normal meter-reading manner during the normal working day. They would not be calling at night, Mr Roos said.

"They will be wearing identification labels and companybranded apparel and each auditor is expected to visit up to 32 homes a day," he said. The staff would call at propertiesin the normal meter-reading manner during the normal working day. They would not be calling at night, Mr Roos said.

"They will be wearing identification labels and companybranded apparel and each auditor is expected to visit up to 32 homes a day," he said. The staff would call at propertiesin the normal meter-reading manner during the normal working day. They would not be calling at night, Mr Roos said.

Alpine Energy and its operations company Netcon have been making excellent progress in the township meter inspection campaign, covering Fairlie last month and now completing inspections in Pleasant Point.

Alpine Energy's commercial manager Daniel Roos said the inspection teams have been well received and he praised property owners who, being absent when the inspectors called, phoned the control centre on their return to immediately arrange for a return visit. "Most people knew we were coming."

Meters in every South Canterbury home, farm and business between the Rangitata and Waitaki rivers are being inspected and certified in the survey that will take a year. Visits will cover the three main districts, Timaru, Waimate and Mackenzie.

Mr Roos said inspectors would visit more than 32,000 homes in a zone-by-zone approach. He said Netcon audit team (pictured above) will be clearly identified when they knock at the door.

"They will be wearing identification labels and companybranded apparel and each auditor is expected to visit up to 32 homes a day," he said. The staff would call at propertiesin the normal meter-reading manner during the normal working day. They would not be calling at night, Mr Roos said.

Early results from South Canterbury's first comprehensive meter audit show that a high percentage of meters will need to be replaced, Alpine Energy says.

With assessment of Fairlie meters almost complete and a significant number of Mackenzie District farm installations checked, a large number have been shown not to comply with new Government requirements.

"Even though these meters are all in perfect working order they do not comply and as such will need to be replaced between now and March 2015," Alpine Energy commercial manager Daniel Roos says.

"This is in line with our expectations and the findings show the value of our meter audit, which would position Alpine Energy for an accurate assessment of future smart meter requirements across South Canterbury." Smart meters, the installation of which has been supported by the Government although regulations have not been introduced, allow customers to use variable energy usage rates based upon the current demand for power.

Consumers will be able to save money by choosing to use energy-demanding appliances during times of off-peak demand.

Alpine Energy and its operations company Netcon have been making excellent progress in the township meter inspection campaign, covering Fairlie last month and now working house-to-house in Pleasant Point. But locating meters around farms has proven a real challenge for the inspection teams, Alpine Energy's commercial manager Daniel Roos said this week.

Many farm dwellers have not been home when the inspectors called, leaving the teams guessing as to where meters installed outside homes have been sited. "We've been criss-crossing farmyards and buildings looking for them," he said.

Mr Roos says the problem arose when meter boxes were outside homes or in normally unlocked outside sheds. "We didn't expect to find it so hard to locate them.
"It would be a tremendous help to our assessors to find a note on the door of unattended farm houses telling us where to look," he said.

Mr Roos praised property owners who, being absent when the inspectors called, phoned the control centre on their return to immediately arrange for a return visit. "This degree of co-operation is extremely helpful to us, especially in the rural areas where our team has to travel considerable distances."

He said Fairlie residents warmly welcomed the inspectors who enjoyed a high
level of public co-operation. "Most people knew we were coming." Meters in every South Canterbury home, farm and business between the Rangitata and Waitaki rivers are being inspected and certified in the survey that will take a year. Visits will cover the three main districts, Timaru, Waimate and Mackenzie.

Mr Roos said inspectors would visit more than 32,000 homes in a zone-by-zone approach. From Pleasant Point, likely to take two or three weeks, the focus will shift to Timaru, where each suburb will be visited one-by-one. He said Netcon audit team (pictured above) will be clearly identified when they knock at the door."They will be wearing identification labels and company-branded apparel and each auditor is expected to visit up to 32 homes a day," he said.

The staff would call at properties in the normal meter-reading manner during the normal working day. They would not be calling at night, Mr Roos said. "In the event a householder was not home and access to meters could not be established, the assessors would make a return visit after leaving a card that clearly identified them."

Netcon's metering project manager Hesham Mikhail describes the task at each property as simple and easy – "mostly just a five-minute job". He said no wires were connected to or disconnected from the household supply – the survey was all done by a small handheld remote device, about the size of a litre milk bottle, with a satellite link to Alpine Energy's data base back at its Meadows Road offices."Then we are gone," he said.

The project, scheduled to be completed by April 29 next year, is part of the Government's requirements for meter efficiency compliance, which it says must be completed nationwide by March 31, 2015. Alpine Energy is keen to ensure the public is well informed and maps showing where teams will be working across the region will published in local newspapers and on Alpine Energy's website.

Meter efficiency survey a five-minute job at most properties

Simple and easy, just a five-minute job at most properties. That’s how Netcon Ltd’s metering project manager Hesham Mikhail describes the task ahead of his four-strong team undertaking for Alpine Energy Ltd South Canterbury’s first ever comprehensive survey of electricity meters in every home and business...

And Hesham points out that no wires are connected or disconnected to the household supply – the survey is all done by a small hand-held remote device with a satellite link to Alpine Energy’s data base back at its Meadows Road offices.

In fact, says Hesham, modern meter performance testing technology has done away with the need for form-filling, hard-wire connections and any form of meter dismantling and the information read at each property’s meter board is transmitted to Alpine Energy’s computer server at the touch of button – instantly. “Then we are gone,” he said.

The hand-held device, about the size of a one-litre milk bottle, even has a camera built in to provide vital information for a snapshot of the meter installation.
Alpine Energy’s commercial manager Daniel Roos says Hesham’s team of inspectors will visit more than 32,000 homes in South Canterbury during the next 12 months in a zone-by-zone approach. The inspectors were only interested in the efficiency of meters, not how electricity was being used in a home or business, he said. “That’s their business. Ours is making sure that the power used is measured accurately.”

Fairlie is being assessed this month and inspections will shift to Pleasant Point for the month of June. The Timaru urban area survey will begin in July. The project, scheduled to be completed by April 29 next year, is part of the Government’s requirements for meter efficiency compliance, which it says must be completed nationwide by March 31, 2015.

Mr Roos expected that most South Canterbury meters would need to be replaced prior to the March 2015 deadline and the current meter inspection would position Alpine Energy for an accurate assessment of future smart meter requirements across South Canterbury.
He said Netcon inspectors would be clearly identified when they knocked at the door.
“They will be wearing identification labels and company-branded apparel and each auditor is expected to visit up to 32 homes a day,” he said.
The staff would call at properties in the normal meter-reading manner during the normal working day. They would not be calling at night, Mr Roos said.
“In the event a householder was not home and access to meters could not be established, the assessors would make a return visit after leaving a card that clearly identified them.”

He had one request though. If large dogs were roaming a property, Alpine Energy would welcome a call to let the inspectors know about their presence.

Alpine Energy set to launch SC-wide meter inspection. Every electricity meter in every South Canterbury home and business is to be inspected and certified by Alpine Energy in a survey that will take a year.

The comprehensive audit begins in Fairlie on May 9 and will see staff from Alpine Energy's operations company Netcon visit every consumer in Timaru, Waimate and Mackenzie Districts, between the Rangitata and Waitaki rivers.
May will be spent surveying the Fairlie urban area and inspections will shift to Pleasant Point for the month of June. The Timaru urban area survey will begin in July.
It is the first time such a comprehensive audit has been undertaken region wide.
The project, scheduled to be completed by April 29 next year, is part of the Government's requirements for meter efficiency compliance, which it says must be completed nationwide by March 31, 2015. Alpine Energy commercial manager Daniel Roos says inspectors will visit more than 32,000 homes in South Canterbury during the next 12 months in a zone-by-zone approach.

"All category one meters will be inspected and the data collected will be used to ensure a smooth changeover to compliant meters. Category one meters are found in private homes and small businesses; category two in large big-box retail outlets, and category three meters are installed in larger factories and industrial sites. Both single phase and three-phase installations will be covered," Mr Roos said today.

The company expected that most meters would need to be replaced prior to the March 2015 deadline and the audit would position Alpine Energy for an accurate assessment of future smart meter requirements across South Canterbury.

Smart meters, the installation of which has been supported by the Government although regulations have not been introduced, allow customers to use variable energy usage rates based upon the current demand for power. Rates may be different for Monday-to-Friday usage as compared to weekend pricing. Energy prices will further vary according to peak and off-peak usage. Consumers will be able to save money by choosing to use energy-demanding appliances during times of off-peak demand. That system would replace Rate E and Rate A metering provided by the current "dumb" meters.

Mr Roos said Netcon audit teams will be clearly identified when they knock at the door. "They will be wearing identification labels and company-branded apparel and each auditor is expected to visit up to 32 homes a day," he said.
The staff would call at properties in the normal meter-reading manner during the normal working day. They would not be calling at night, Mr Roos said.

"In the event a householder was not home and access to meters could not be established, the assessors would make a return visit after leaving a card that clearly identified them."

Communications material including newspaper advertisements and radio broadcasts would advise residents when teams were going to be in a particular area. Mr Roos asked that householders and business owners facilitate access to meters to allow the project to be completed with the minimum of disruption. South Canterbury has a far-flung population base with nearly one in three people living in rural areas, nearly twice the level of the rest of New Zealand.