SP Services (formerly Power Supply) provides meter-reading for generation companies, retailers and their customers, and data management for billing purposes.

Currently, SP Services field employees visit households to take down the meter-reading for billing purposes.

Probably for cost reasons, actual readings for each customer can be taken only once every two to three months, and SP Services has to make an estimate for the months before the actual meter-reading.

This explains the recurrent billing disputes encountered by its customers. The present billing system also does not help customers track and monitor actual consumption on a monthly basis.

An effective and efficient IT system is fundamental to SP Services' business mission. If it is spending a lot of money on constantly upgrading its IT system to cope with changes in technology and business requirements, why is it not investing in systems that can track actual consumption of customers and consumers directly?

This should not be costly with today's technology, if we can be billed for actual usage of fixed telephone- and mobile-line airtime as well as on-demand video and online games.

Perhaps the industry regulator, the Energy Market Authority, can look into getting market participants to develop the necessary IT systems for the benefit of all - service providers, their customers and the consumers.

Mr Ee Teck Siew

Is this article useful to you?