Help Recycling Efforts at the Delta Fair

Ever notice how most of our public events don't offer recycling? Ever notice that even when they do, people often throw trash in the recycling bins? Well, Clean Memphis is promoting recycling at the Delta Fair and Music Festival
Sept. 4-13. They need volunteers to hold signs encouraging fair-goers to drop
their cans or bottles into the recycling bins rather than the trash.

Volunteers will work 3 hours shifts and get into the Delta Fair free – a savings of $10.

Shifts they need to cover (in 3 hour increments) are listed below:

Friday, September 4 2pm-11pm

Saturday, September 5 10am-9pm

Sunday, September 6 12pm-9pm

Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day) 10am-9pm

Tuesday, September 8 2pm-9pm

Wednesday, September 9 2pm-9pm

Thursday, September 10 2pm-9pm

Friday, September 11 2pm-9pm

Saturday, September 12 10am-9pm

Sunday, September 13 12pm-9pm

Contact Janet Boscarino to Volunteer (488-6786 or janet@cleanmemphis.org)

3 Things

1. Flipside Memphis, a project of Live from Memphis, produces all kinds of cool videos about cool things going on in Memphis. (No, they haven't made one about MLGW. Yet!)

2. I especially like this one about Revolutions Community Bike Shop.



3. The founder of Revolutions, Anthony Siracusa, is currently spending a year abroad learning about bike culture. Anthony is sharing his adventures online in a blog called Pedal Power.

When Learning Comes Naturally

On Tuesday, September 1 at 9pm WKNO will air WHEN LEARNING COMES NATURALLY. It documents innovative outdoor-education programs around the country created to help children understand and experience the wonders and joys of nature.

The film explores the immediate and lasting benefits of introducing young children to "green" experiences. Natural spaces — in the form of gardens, small trails and outdoor "green adventure" areas — allow for the discoveries and choices vital to child development and learning. In addition, outdoor education can cultivate in children a permanent connection with the natural world — a crucial ethic of environmental responsibility. Check it out!

Then you can take your kids (or just yourself) to the new "My Big Backyard" exhibit at the Botanic Gardens on Wednesday afternoon for free!

Light My Fire

MLGW’s Pilot Safety Inspection is underway:
Free appointments through September

MLGW is now scheduling appointments for pilot light safety inspections. The service is free to all customers prior to October 6 and after December 31.

Customers can call the automated scheduling system at 820-7878 to choose an appointment date and time which will be most convenient. The times are 8 a.m.-noon; noon- 4 p.m.; and 4 - 8 p.m. Saturday appointments are also available. For the best selection of dates and times, please call as soon as possible.

Floor furnaces and wall furnaces should be cleaned prior the technicians’ arrival to light your furnace. If your furnace is in the attic, proper access must be provided.

MLGW inspection appointments worked Oct. 6 through Dec. 31 will be assessed a $27 fee that will be billed to the customer’s account. The service fee of $27 covers up to three gas heating appliances in your home; each additional gas appliance will incur a $14 fee. If your utilities are listed in your name and you are 60 years of age or disabled, the service will be provided at no charge as long as you present the MLGW representative with verification at the time of service. Representatives will have MLGW I.D. badges.

MLGW legacy pays homage to Sheahan Pumping Station

Recently in Memphis on vacation and to visit relatives, Mr. James Ingram requested a tour of one of his favorite places in the world—Sheahan Water Pumping Station. Reginald Sisco and Roland Person, both from Water Plant Maintenance, Supply & Operations, gave Mr. Ingram and his family a tour of Sheahan, which was more like a homecoming than a tour. Ingram now lives in Fort Myers, Florida, after serving 26 years in the U.S. Navy, and works as a water operator at the South Regional Water Treatment Plant in Collier County, Florida. But you might say he got his start in his life’s work at Sheahan. His father, James F. Ingram, worked for the Memphis Artesian Water Dept. and moved to MLGW when it was formed in 1939 to work at the Parkway (now Mallory) Water Pumping Station. He retired in 1973 as Assistant Supervisor of Water Operations at Sheahan.

“I went to Sheahan as a kid many, many times in the days of steam,” Mr. Ingram said, “and I was—and still am—absolutely fascinated with it. The sights and sounds, and even the smells, of Sheahan Pumping Station are embedded in my memory to this day. Sheahan was like Disneyland to me. I loved it—and still do.”

Besides the words of praise for MLGW and the profuse thanks for the tour, Ingram identified two items that had been in storage at Sheahan for some time, the function of the two items long forgotten. Ingram quickly identified the items as calibration devices that measured the efficiency of the steam engines at Sheahan he had remembered as a boy, steam engines rendered obsolete and removed from service in the early 1970s.

“I can’t believe those old steam engine indicators were still around, and in their original wooden cases,” said Ingram. “Everything was awesome,” he said of Sheahan and his side-tour of the Main Connection and museum in the Administration Building. “That’s a nice little museum there, with some really neat stuff on display. I know that wherever he is out there, my dad was smiling down. He would be happy knowing that old Sheahan Pumping Station and Water Operations are in such good hands!”

Ingram has a website dedicated to the Sheahan and Parkway (now Mallory) Water Pumping Stations, with photos of the stations when they were in their grandeur during the steam-engine era.

Ordinary 2 Extraordinary

BRIDGES Ordinary to Extraordinary: Learning & Leading Green! (O2E) Community Tour

Come experience Memphis' 1st green commercial building in a fun, interactive way! Come alone, with your family/friends or with a business/community group.

Thursday, August 27
5-7 pm
BRIDGES Center
477 N. 5th Street

RSVP by emailing Mollie at mmcampbell@bridgesusa.org

Learn more about BRIDGES Ordinary to Extraordinary: Learning & Leading Green! (O2E) program here.

Upcoming O2E Experiences:

* August 27
* September 24
* October 29
* November 19
* December 17

The Power of One

This aired on Channel 3 last week and details our Plus-1 program which is administered by MIFA and helps Memphians who are in emergency situations pay their utility bills.

 

Energy Efficiency Could Boost South

Study: Energy Efficiency Could Boost South
GREG BLUESTEIN | Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA (AP) - An aggressive strategy to replace aging equipment with more energy efficient products throughout the South would reduce the need to build more coal-fired power plants in the region through 2020, according to a Georgia Tech study released Monday.

Advocates are taking the study, funded by the Energy Foundation and the Turner Foundation, to state legislators and regulatory agencies hoping it will bolster their calls for more incentives for energy efficient products as an alternative to new power plants.

"We're not saying that new plants aren't needed, because new plants can replace old clunkers that need to be replaced," said Marilyn Brown, a Georgia Tech professor who co-authored the report.

"But we don't need to build for an expanded demand if the Southern states would begin to launch energy efficient programs."

The study distilled 19 separate reports published across the region over the past 12 years. It found that better use of energy-efficient products could bring consumption 9 percent below the levels now projected for 2020.

It found that the South has been one of the last regions in the country to embrace energy efficiency programs and to foster a culture where consumers value energy efficiency.

It also found the South - which it defines as a 16-state area that extends from Texas to Maryland - accounts for 44 percent of the nation's total energy consumption. That's significantly more than the region's population share, which hovers around 37 percent.

The brunt of the energy efficiency upgrades would take place in the private sector. It advocates homeowners and contractors to install heat pumps along with efficient window treatments and insulation.

It urges the commercial sector to embrace new lighting standards and more efficient cooling systems. And the report calls for aging boilers and burners in industrial plans to be replaced with newer and more efficient versions.

The technology to make the changes already exists, the report said, but it will take a host of more aggressive incentives to prod residents and business owners into action.

And Brown said regional leaders have not yet show the "visionary investment" such as tax breaks and subsidies that other parts of the country have enjoyed.

Environmental advocates are already using the report's findings to push for those changes. A group met with utility executives a few weeks ago to discuss the study, and they have since fanned out to meet with lawmakers and regulatory agencies.

Ben Taube, the executive director of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, said he is planning to discuss the report with business leaders and legislators at a conference in Georgia on Wednesday.

The challenge, though, will be proving that policy encouraging more efficiency can pay economic dividends, he said.

"What we have to overcome is how does energy efficiency compete?" Taube said. "We need to focus on how to encourage a utility to invest into energy efficiency and also recoup the cost and even turn a profit."

TVA Rate Increase Fast Facts

On Thursday, August 20, The Tennessee Valley Authority Board approved its 2010 budget of $10.2 billion for operating expenses and $2.3 billion in capital investments.

TVA is taking action to deal with a projected $7.2 billion shortfall for the period 2010 through 2012 including $1.9 billion in cost reductions, $2.8 billion in additional borrowing, and a base rate increase of 8% worth $2.5 billion.

TVA’s Board approved the 8 percent increase in the average wholesale rate. The increase will raise the typical MLGW customer’s bill by approximately $6 per month. This increase will be offset initially by an 11 percent decrease from the Fuel Cost Adjustment for the October billing period. According to TVA, residential consumers can expect decreases in the wholesale portion of their bills that range from about 50 cents to about $4 in October.

The Fuel Cost Adjustment, or FCA, is a variable energy rate that can fluctuate each quarter with TVA’s fuel and purchased power costs.

MLGW is TVA’s largest electric customer. MLGW passes on all TVA electric costs to customers.

The Commercial Appeal article on TVA can be viewed here.

The TVA press release can be viewed here.

Explosive News

Yesterday afternoon, a Midtown house exploded due to a gas leak in the kitchen, according to the Commercial Appeal. As a follow up, ABC-24 is running a story this evening at 5 and 6 on natural gas safety.

The story will focus on how to tell if a natural gas flame is safe and what to do if you smell gas or the flame does not look safe. ( You should leave the house immediately and call our emergency number). Be sure and tune in!

Also don't forget MLGW's Pilot Light-Up and Inspection Program. You can call 820-7878 to receive a free inspection before Oct. 4.

Photo by Mike Brown

MLGW Name Change

In light of the fact that MLGW is billing customers for more than just light, gas, and water, we have decided to change our name. How does Memphis Light, Gas, Water, Sewer, Solid Waste, Mosquito/Rodent, and Storm Water sound? MLGWSSWM/RSW for short.

Catchy, huh?

But wait! If you get Green Power Switch added to your bill, add a GP on the end. Add a P1 for those of you in Plus-1. An F for those of you being billed for Fire services, and so on. Yes, some of you will need to refer to us as MLGWSSWM/RSWGPP1F.

I'm kidding of course, but please remember that when you get your bill in the mail, you are paying for lots and lots of services in one easy payment. Just imagine if you got a separate bill for each service. That would be seven to ten bills each month!

We're sticking with MLGW because the LGW is what we actually provide. We bill the SSWM/RSW and F services on behalf of the City and/or County and the GP and P1 are optional.

This is a Turn Off

Good Magazine focuses on water in its latest issue. "This is a Turn Off" features lots of great suggestions for saving water in the bathroom, outdoors, and kitchen.

Before clicking the links, consider a few facts:

Last year, UNICEF announced that humans need about five gallons of clean water a day to survive.

In America, we can easily use 400 gallons per household, per day—two to three times as much water as other developed nations.

Everyday ways we hog water:

Conventional Gallons, By Use*

Toilet: 3.5 to 6 gallons per flush for a conventional toilet

Shower: 2.5 to 4 gallons per minute for a conventional shower head

Bath: Up to 60 gallons per bath based on standard tub size, full

Dishwasher: 4 gallons per load if it is Energy Star rated, 6 gallons without

Running faucet: 2 to 7 gallons per minute for a conventional faucet

Watering your lawn: 5 to 10 gallons per minute for a running hose

*Water flow depends on your water pressure, obviously. These numbers reflect conventional water use and conventional tub and sink sizes, on average, without aerators, low-flow attachments, etc.

MLGW Minute

Solar Initiative Update

From Friday's TENNESSEAN...

Tennessee's $62.5 million solar initiative is on track, Bredesen says
By Chas Sisk

Gov. Phil Bredesen said Friday that high-level officials in Washington have assured him a plan to use stimulus funds to build a solar array and research institute is on track, despite resistance within the federal government.

Speaking to reporters, Bredesen acknowledged that the $62.5 million Volunteer State Solar Initiative has been held up as Department of Energy staffers question whether the state can legally use stimulus money to fund the project and whether it can clear environmental hurdles quickly enough to meet the program's goal of creating jobs during the current recession.

But Bredesen said he had spoken with officials "at the secretary and assistant secretary levels" and been assured that the project could be funded.

"I certainly know at the high levels of the department, it's a very well-regarded, popular project. We're just kind of working through the bureaucracy now to get the approvals out," Bredesen said. "We've got a lot of hoops to jump through on this, a lot of people who — as always happens in bureaucracies — would rather say no the first time."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Energy said it is still reviewing the project.

Bredesen administration officials have been trying since May to win a federal grant for the initiative, which would consist of a solar array and education center in West Tennessee and the Tennessee Solar Institute, a research facility shared by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee.

The grant would not pay for land acquisition, construction and some other costs. Tennessee officials have said these can be covered through the state budget.

Letter raised questions

As recently as last week, Bredesen said he expected the project to be funded by the end of August.

But correspondence released in recent days through public records requests shows that some Energy Department officials believe the program runs afoul of rules that bar use of the grant money for new construction.

In a letter sent July 28, the department raised six pages of questions about the program, mainly about the initiative's budget and its purpose. Correspondence also refers to telephone conversations about the project in which federal officials have questioned the project.

Bredesen declined Friday to state a specific time frame for application approval, saying only that he hopes it will come by month's end.

BioWorkin It

A new green economic development strategy for Memphis and the surrounding agricultural regions is going to be launched on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 by Memphis Bioworks Foundation at BRIDGES.

This study, called the “*Regional Strategy for Biobased Products in the Mississippi Delta*,” finds that there can be over 25,000 jobs created in the Mid-South region by greening the supply chain from the field to the factory. The regional strategy shows the possibilities of making biobased products from crops grown in the region, increasing employment and supporting small businesses and large industries and bringing more than $8 billion to the economy by leveraging our regional assets of land, infrastructure and logistics.

The keynote speaker is Aimee Christensen, an internationally-recognized leader who has worked for more than two decades on the environment, human rights and development for institutions like Google and the World Bank.

Please join BioWorks at 5:00 PM on August 25th at BRIDGES. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Regina Whitley at the Memphis Bioworks Foundation (901.866.1452 or rwhitley@memphisbioworks.org)

Plus-1 on the News

WREG-TV NewsChannel 3 will air a special tonight from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. to raise awareness of the Plus-1 utility assistance program.

In the special, customers who have benefited from Plus-1 along with MLGW employees and others who give to the program will discuss the importance of the program and how donations have decreased over the past few years.

However, MLGW and MIFA are working to increase those donations and help some of the thousands that must be turned away each month due to the limited funds. Also highlighted in the program is the fact that MLGW employees are among the top givers to Plus-1.

Customers will be asked to sign up to become a Plus-1 contributor. To learn more contact MIFA at 527-0208.

MLGW Wins!

MLGW received the American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Community Service Award Tuesday, June 16 at APPA’s national conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The award recognizes “good neighbor” activities that demonstrate the commitment of the utility and its employees to the community. The creation of a Community Conservation Day was a significant innovation in the various services offered to the MLGW community.

MLGW organized a Community Conservation Day on October 10, 2008 simultaneously at 38 Memphis-area Exxon “On the Run” convenience stores and five MLGW community offices to inform customers about conservation methods that can help them lower their energy usage and utility bills. MLGW employees answered customer questions about energy conservation and MLGW programs and services while handing out free energy-saver kits and other conservation materials and information. MLGW partnered with Exxon “On the Run” stores to take its conservation message to customers at the gasoline pump. More than 225 MLGW employees – some of whom are bilingual – were trained to discuss energy conservation with customers. In four hours, MLGW distributed approximately 9,000 conservation kits, as well as energy conservation information customers can utilize in their homes. Building on the positive customer experience of the initial Community Conservation Day, MLGW has made the conservation days a monthly event.

“This award illustrates how MLGW employees constantly give back to the community,” said Jerry Collins Jr., MLGW President and CEO. “Community Conservation Day was organized not only to inform and educate our customers about energy conservation, but also to give MLGW employees and volunteers the opportunity to interact with and reach out to the community they love and serve.”

The American Public Power Association (APPA) is the service organization for the nation’s more than 2,000 community-owned electric utilities that serve more than 45 million Americans.

Pilot Light Up Season Begins August 17

Customers can begin signing up for MLGW’s Pilot Light Up season on August 17. The service is free to all customers prior to October 6 and after December 31.

Customers can call 820-7878 to schedule an appointment date and time that will be most convenient: 8 a.m.-noon; noon-4 p.m.; and 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Saturday appointments are also available. For the best selection of dates and times, customers are asked to call as soon as possible.

North Community Office Closing For Renovations

Good news! In October, the North Community Office at 2424 Summer Ave., will close for renovations. Renovations include a new HVAC system, roofing repairs, and office renovations that will improve efficiency and convenience in serving customers. The North Office is scheduled to re-open in January 2010.

Customers will be asked to conduct business at one of our other Community Offices (245 S. Main, 2935 Lamar Ave., 1111 E. Shelby Dr. or 5131 Navy Road) in the interim.

Banners to Bags

I love this project happening in Decatur, GA. One of my favorite tote bags is made from an old banner. It's super sturdy and waterproof. Too bad they didn't include any pictures:

Decatur to donate old banners for tote bag project

Leave it to Decatur to recycle with style.

The city agreed this week to donate its old banners — advertising city events and parties — to a Colombian refugee recently resettled in DeKalb County.

Maria Cristina Giraldo Echeverria will then use her Wal-Mart sewing machine to turn the fabric into tote and messenger bags to be sold at a Decatur fair trade shop.

“It’s a very wonderful, very Decatur thing to do,” said Ann VanSlyke, owner of the Mingei World Arts store, where the bags will be sold.

The totes are for bookworms as much as earnest environmentalists. That’s because the banners-to-bags idea is the brainchild of Daren Wang, executive director of the Decatur Book Festival.

He approached VanSlyke a few months ago to ask whether she knew any artisans who could take the festival’s vinyl banners and turn them into bags.

VanSlyke, whose shop imports items from all over the world, found her seamstress by calling the International Rescue Committee and discovering it had just placed Giraldo Echeverria.

She has already made 15 of the 30 bags that the festival plans to auction off as a fund-raiser during its Labor Day weekend event. Giraldo Echeverria will get half the money raised.

“Maria has been very creative in how she designs the bags. They’re such beautiful items,” Wang said. “It’s such an elegant solution for everyone involved.”

The Decatur banners that will become totes are the cherry-red pennants from the city’s 175th anniversary, the 1996 streamers for the Olympics and various flags from city events and concerts.

Prices will range from $25 for small totes to $50 for detailed messenger bags that include zippered pockets and a cellphone holder.

The deal guarantees Giraldo Echeverria, who could not be reached for comment, a living wage of at least $10 an hour.

And, like any good Decatur program, it requires she give back, too.

Ten percent of her sales at year’s end will go to the Decatur Youth Fund, which last year helped 120 kids participate in after-school programs and specialty camps.

“What else can you say?” Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd said. “It’s just a great idea.”

Utility Assistance

As of today, the City of Memphis Energy Assistance Program has helped 3,524 customers with $1,551,832.68.

Two Minutes

I got a bit behind on our weekly feature, the "MLGW Minute," so you get two minutes this week!

A New Home for Old Plastic Bags, Among Other Things

The MIFA Store is now accepting your old plastic bags! They can use them for packing up customers' purchases, and every penny they save through donations helps. Just bring your old bags next time you shop or drop off a donation. (Keep an eye on their blog or sign up for The MIFA Store email list for new merchandise, specials, and sales!)

They could really use your donations of clothing, furniture, and household items this month. They've got several events coming up, and they need lots of new merchandise to keep the racks stocked and the customers happy! So if you were thinking of a back-to-school closet clean-out, please bring your unwanted items to 910 Vance!

Starry Nights-It's Back and It's Green!

From today's CA...

Drive-through holiday lights show returns to Shelby Farms; Energy-efficient lights will shine for revived Starry Nights
By Kevin McKenzie

After 10 years without a twinkle, the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy is reviving the Starry Nights holiday light show at Shelby Farms Park this year, using about 1.5 million energy-efficient lights.

With Santa Claus on the stage, Rick Masson, executive director of the park conservancy, announced Monday at Agricenter International that the drive-through holiday light show is coming back from Nov. 27 to Jan. 2.

MIFA, a Memphis nonprofit group that distributes food and other services created Starry Nights and ran it from 1994-99.

"We're becoming a county that is really for the children," said Shelby County Mayor AC Wharton, who earlier in the morning had appeared at a Head Start function.

The park conservancy, which two years ago contracted with Shelby County government to manage and plan for the park, has received requests to bring back Starry Nights, Masson said.

It will be a winter fundraiser for the nonprofit conservancy and has a three-year budget of roughly $500,000, with displays and other capital costs taking the biggest bite the first year, he said.

First Tennessee Bank has agreed to become a co-presenter of the event, although the bank's contribution is still under negotiation, Masson said.

"These are difficult times," Charles Burkett, president of banking at First Tennessee, said at the announcement.

Picking up on Wharton's theme, Burkett said "anything we can do to make Christmas a little better, a little brighter for the children."

Starry Nights displays, including environmental and nature as well as holiday themes, will use LED, or light-emitting diode lights.

They consume about 5 watts of electricity for each string of lights, compared with 35 watts for regular Christmas lights, said Monte DePouw, principal of DePouw Engineering, a Germantown electrical design firm involved with the project.

That will reduce the power used by more than 85 percent. The light bill will be about $1,500, DePouw said.

A gift shop and holiday village will be added, and special nights on designated Monday evenings will be scheduled for viewing the show by walking or bicycling and other events.

Ellen Westbrook, who helped create the show at MIFA and is the volunteer chairwoman this year, said a separate entrance and facilities for groups will provide an infrastructure for holiday gatherings.

"We have all the infrastructure now," Westbrook said. "We never had it before."

Kevin Kane, president of the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, said that at its peak, Starry Nights attracted more than 100,000 people in about five weeks.

A Starry Nights musical soundtrack featuring local musicians will be crafted. Dean Deyo, president of the Memphis Music Foundation is coordinating that.

City Raises Storm Water and Sewer Fees

The Storm Water Fee for the City of Memphis increased .34 cents effective July 31, 2009. The new base Storm Water Fee will be $3.64 per SFU (Single Family Unit). Apartment dwellers will notice a .14 cent increase and condo/townhouse dwellers will see a .19 cent increase. Please direct questions to the City's Storm Water department at 576-4349.

The Sewer Rate for the City of Memphis increased to $0.7876 per ccf. The Minimum and Maximum Charges for a Residential Customer will remain $2.50 and $18.00 respectively. Direct questions to the City's Sewer department at 576-6757.

All of the City/County fee phone numbers and information are also included on the back of MLGW bills.

A Day in the Life of a Meter Reader

One of our summer interns is highlighting different work areas. Here is her take on our meter readers. Longtime readers may recall the day I shadowed a meter reader. Read about it here.

A Day in the Life of a Meter Reader

In this series of “A Day in the Life…,” the spotlight shines on MLGW meter readers – both their courageous abilities and what they encounter on a daily basis. I had the opportunity of accompanying one of the Division’s meter readers on one of their routes. Steven Henderson, who works out of the North Service Center, has been with the company for four years and would attest that meter reading is a physically challenging, but satisfying job. “Frequently, you encounter engaging customers on your regular routes who make your job more enjoyable,” said Johnson.

Johnson described his years of working with the company and most importantly the procedures of properly reading customers’ meters. Reading a water meter was fairly easy; however the gas and electric meters were somewhat difficult to read. Johnson and other meter readers explained that the electric and gas meters, which have dials, are read from right to left. After a couple of homes and approximately ten meters, I was able to successfully read all three types of meters. Possessing good memory proves to be a great advantage when you walk the same route regularly. While I unknowingly strolled pass meters, Johnson knew their exact locations. Even when meters were hidden by over-grown grass or shielded by high bushes, Johnson could identify the utilities’ site.

A meter reader encounters more obstacles (transportation, dogs, weather, customers, etc.) on a regular day than other Division employees. Even though meter readers are required to drive a company vehicle to their designated area, they are also required to walk from house to house. So, being physically fit is essential due to extended hours of walking. Rain or shine, weather rarely prevents a meter reader from fulfilling their duties; they are obligated to work under any circumstance. Recently, the June 12 storms created obstacles for meter readers; either debris covered the meters, days were extended or delayed or the skip counts were increased on the account of the inability to obtain a reading.

It is also crucial for a meter reader to be cautious when retrieving a reading that is located in a customer’s back yard. Meter readers occasionally run across customers who own dogs that are not friendly to strangers or those who have fences that are locked, but conveniently they are able to use a scope device which allows them to read meters from remote distances.

There are facts that employees and customers may not know about meter readers and the skills required of them when they are out in the field. For one, with a good glance they are able to read a meter in less than two seconds, which is extremely beneficial when you have between 700-900 readings to retrieve in a day’s time. Many people may think that meter readers are the ones who compose the estimate of customers’ meters, but they are either able to obtain the reading or another department in the company formulates the estimations.

Truly, meter readers have a difficult job, but primarily they have an important job that is essential in the customer-company relationship. Meter reading is a necessary process in the company which allows the customer and MLGW to recognize the amount of utilities consumed; this information is critical to MLGW’s billing accuracy. MLGW salutes its meter readers and the hard work they perform every day!