Tauranga based energy company TrustPower is purchasing a new meter reading data management system for the management of about 500,000 electricity meters.

The system is being purchased from New Zealand company DataCol and allows TrustPower to be more efficient at collecting meter data.

DataCol CEO Bruce Franks says the purchase is further evidence of TrustPower's customer focus.

'TrustPower has made the right decision to focus on the efficiency and quality of their existing meter reading activities, rather than invest in smart metering before that technology can deliver real benefits to the New Zealand consumer.”

Bruce says with SevenX, DataCol is providing an affordable and open alternative to the expensive, proprietary systems typically used by utilities for managing meter reading.

TrustPower's field service manager retail, Stuart Milsom, says its data collection team is regularly complimented by industry leaders and authorities for the quality of the service they provide, and for achieving some of the best data attainment results in the electricity industry.

'Moving to DataCol's SevenX data collection system has allowed us to become even more efficient, not only in the collection of consumption data, but also in the recording of additional information that will assist us to improve our already excellent customer service.”