Meter Readers Provide a Valuable Service -- Please Help Them Work Safely

REU Utility Field Service employees read your meter each month. To obtain the date your electric and/or your water meter is read please call Jim Clark at 339-7211. In order to provide reliable service, it is sometimes necessary for our employees to visit your home on an unscheduled day.

Whenever our employees are in the field, they are there to provide a valuable service to you. Having actual meter readings means REU Customer Service doesn't have to estimate your usage, meaning your bills reflect your actual electric or water usage. But our meter readers do more than just read meters, they watch out for elderly customers and for children too. We need your help to keep them safe as they go about their work. Locked gates and dogs are two of the most common difficulties meter readers encounter that, with your help, we can eliminate.

Dogs are unpredictable, and a dog who is gentle with friends and family has the natural instinct to 'protect' his home against a perceived 'intruder.' It's up to you, the homeowner and a REU customer to take the responsibility to restrain your dog when the meter reader arrives. Just call Jim Clark at 339-7211 and he will mail you your read dates. Then you can be ready to lock up your good friend "Fido" on the day your meter is to be read. Thank you!

A locked gate is another impediment. Again, being aware of the meter-read date will allow you to unlock your gates long enough to give our employees access to your meter so they can obtain an accurate electric or water read. Please don't let trash or other household items impede access to your meter. Identification is important. Our employees carry City of Redding identification cards that include their photograph and employee number. They also wear shirts bearing the City of Redding logo. If you have any doubts about someone claiming to be a City of Redding employee, call us with the representative's number for verification. If you ask for an identification badge and one is not produced, do not admit the individual. Call REU Utility Field Services (530) 339-7211 and report the incident.

REU Customer Service Utility Field Services employees are authorized to receive a payment for your utility bill. If you pay with cash, they will give you a receipt and if you pay by check, they will verify your check on-site using their cell phones. The first on-site payment will be without charge, after one on-site payment, there will be a collection fee.

Your water meter is read every month and is estimated only in the event of extreme weather conditions that render it impossible to read. Meter Readers work hard to avoid mistakes. You can help the meter reader get an accurate reading by:

• Keeping your meter free of grass, dirt and other obstacles.
• Parking vehicles where they will not block the meter.

We are proud of our high rate of meter reading accuracy. Of the approximate 1000 meters read, our meter readers misread fewer than 2. However, if you feel that your meter may have been misread, please call the office (530) 339-7211 and we will gladly recheck it for you.

For more information on Meter Accessibility:

Jim Clark, (530) 339-7211, e-mail: jclark@ci.redding.ca.us