Meter Reader

**Meter Reading Job Description**:
**Manitoba Hydro Utility Services** is **NOT** Manitoba Hydro and operates as its own independent business supporting Manitoba Hydro with contract work reading gas and electric meters in the province of Manitoba.

Casual meter readers fill in for fulltime meter readers who are away on vacation, sick, injured or are otherwise unable to work.

Due to these irregular and uneven staffing patterns, hours of work cannot be “guaranteed”. However, overall, casual meter readers generally work a full 77 hour per 2 week pay period throughout most of the year.

**Wage**:
$19.21 (casual) per hour as per the Unifor collective agreement. Advancement to $20.62 (FT) as positions become available.

**Work Shift**:
When scheduled, the workday is 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. All shifts scheduled are 8 hours with 2 paid 15 minute breaks and 1 unpaid 30 minute lunch break.

Electric and Natural Gas meters are read in following areas:

- Winnipeg and it's immediate surrounding rural areas

Day trips may be required to assist meter readers stationed in:

- Selkirk
- Portage La Prairie
- Morden
- Steinbach

**Paid Mileage**:
Mileage is paid at 42 cents per kilometer for the first 7000 kilometers (per year) and 34 cents per kilometer thereafter.

**Qualifications**:

- Must hold a valid Class 5 Manitoba driver’s license.
- Must have an acceptable driving record as proven by a recent Driver’s Abstract.
- Must be physically capable of performing the work as assigned.
- Must hold, at minimum, a High School diploma, GED or High School Equivalency

Certificate.
- Must pass a Criminal Record Background Check.
- Must pass a Child Abuse Registry Check.
- Must speak, read and write English.
- Must be able to pass a physical and vision examination if required.

**Duties**:
A meter reader uses a hand held computer to read gas and electric meters located on the outside or inside of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. Meter readers will be expected to enter customer’s homes, businesses, or industrial buildings; adhere to the customer’s expectations of conduct; and follow all approved safety procedures.

In addition, a meter reader will:

- Walk or drive a vehicle along established urban or rural routes to take meter readings.
- Use maps or GPS units to locate customer properties.
- Update meter location and read instruction information as required.
- Inspect meters for unauthorized connections, defects, and damage and report to the appropriate service department as required.
- Verify readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal.
- Upload all information collected on the hand-held computer into an office computer.
- Perform other duties as assigned.

**Job Overview**

**What Meter Readers Do**:
Meter readers check the consumption of gas or electricity used by a utility company's customers. They walk or drive from building to building and read meters that measure the customer's usage level. They record the reading in a handheld computer (or on paper sheets) and return the information to the utility company, which in turn, uses it to bill customers for the amount of energy they have used.

These meters are normally located on the outside wall of a building or sometimes in the building itself (usually in the basement). The meters have a series of numbers or dials that show how much energy the residents used within a certain period of time.

Meter readers are also responsible for checking the meters for damage or service issues. If there are any problems with the meter or connecting cables, meter readers note this information and report it to the service department for repairs.

**Work Environment**:
Meter readers can expect to:

- Work in all seasons and all weather conditions including: RAIN, SNOW, EXTREME HEAT AND COLD
- Encounter dogs and other potential hazards in the field during a normal workday.
- Walk an average of 5-10 kilometers per day.

**Physical Capabilities**:
This is a very physically demanding job. Meter readers can expect:

- A fast-paced environment
- Repetitive tasks
- Walking or standing for extended periods,
- Bending, crouching or kneeling multiple times per shift.

**Use of Personal Vehicle**:
Meter readers must have daily access to and use of “safe and reliable” vehicles for completing assigned routes. Vehicles must be capable of operating in all weather and seasonal conditions.

**Five Core Attributes You Must Have for Success as a Meter Reader**:
**1) Physical fitness**:This role requires up to 38.5 hours per week of physically demanding work.
- **Joint Health**: Your joints (ankles, knees, back, shoulders, elbows, wrist and neck) are in good working order and you do not possess any injuries or difficulties that would prevent you from working. You can bend, kneel, crouch as required throughout the entire working day.
- **Walking**:You can walk up to 6.5 hours of walking per shift between 4km and 10km daily on flat, incline, decline