Want to read a Meter?

Los Angeles still sends out a monthly note when someone will come read the meter.  
How many people are paid to do that? What would it cost to change the entire system, so nobody needs to show up at your door? 

The new approach would be simple. Manually reading meters should cease to exist. Every month the system would send your home, apartment, building information to the central hub, and the end consumer would be billed. It could even be set up so the money is immediately taken from your bank account and no physical paper is needed. Of course, we all believe this will eventually happen, right?

If the software is appropriately written and maintained, how much would be saved? The biggest question is, where would all these meter readers go?

We live in a moment when we all know that the technology is available to change every backend system from water use, electricity, and solar power to all utilities. That’s huge.

So why aren’t we moving there quicker? Is it ineptitude, or is it fear of what will happen to all those workers and their healthcare and retirement programs? Short-term costs for long-term gains.

We must absorb these people into the system with the ability to have a roof over their heads, provide healthcare, and a new job so they can wake up every day and feel valid. We all need that. 

What programs are out there retraining the next group of employees that will eventually be gone? Technology is about efficiency. That’s how we evolve.

Many industries will always need humans. I hope with technology we can pay all these people more money and let technology absorb the other costs. We need to be proactive.

Making this leap is inevitable, and drawing it out as long as possible is painful for all of us.