Remote meter reading
We read whatever the meter says
In short
- Six paths: M-Bus, wM-Bus, RF, LoRaWAN, RS-485, field app
- Index + flow + power + temperature + error codes
- Daily reading and daily consumption analysis
- An archive that cannot be edited
- A defined process for unread meters
Reading paths
Six paths, one archive
Reading depends on the protocol, not on a manufacturer's own software. That is why meters from different brands are read in the same project, in the same round — and why you do not need to replace the meters already installed.
What is read
The index alone is not enough
Meter identity
- Manufacturer code and device type
- Serial number (primary / secondary address)
- Version and hardware information
- Medium: heat, hot water, cold water, electricity
Consumption and index
- Current index (kWh, MWh, m³)
- Due-date index
- Previous period indexes
- Tariff-based registers
Instantaneous values
- Flow rate (m³/h)
- Instantaneous power (kW)
- Flow and return temperature (°C)
- Temperature difference (ΔT)
Operation and status
- Operating hours and error hours
- Device error and alarm codes
- Battery status and remaining life
- Reading timestamp
The second reading path
Reading from the field app
The office creates and assigns the task
Scope is chosen at loop, block, unit or meter level; the form states how many meters it covers before assignment.
The list is downloaded to the phone
Downloaded once, then reading continues in basements and shafts with no connectivity; every entry is saved to the phone immediately.
Barcode picks the right meter
The meter barcode or label is scanned and the meter is marked automatically — closing the wrong-unit error.
The value is validated on entry
Below the previous index or above the limit raises a confirmation bar, and confirm does not work without a photo. No meter can be left blank.
Data is written to the server
Records sync in the background when connectivity returns; an interrupted transfer is resent without creating duplicates.
The office reviews and releases
Abnormal, zero, decreasing and unread readings are collected in separate lists; the office reviews photos, reopens tasks if needed, and only then does the data become billing-ready.
Two uses
For meters not read remotely
When the reading round ends, the remaining meters become a field task with one click. Period close does not wait on a handful of meters.
For projects with no infrastructure
Where there is no modem, converter or wireless collector, the entire reading is done through the app. Statements, notifications and the billing engine behave exactly as they do for remote reading.
Reading archive
Every reading leaves a trace
Every reading leaves a record
Each attempt is archived: when it was made, over which channel, what value came back — and whether it came back at all. Failed attempts are stored too, so the question “why was this meter unread that day” has an answer.
- Successful and failed attempts kept apart
- Source: remote, field app, Excel or manual
- Reading user and timestamp
Index history and charts
A single meter opens on a timeline: index curve, daily consumption bars, flow and return temperatures and flow rate. You do not have to look anywhere else to understand what happened in a unit.
- Index curve and daily consumption
- Temperature and flow trend
- Period boundaries marked
The record cannot be edited
A remotely read index cannot be corrected by hand, because changing what the modem measured would falsify the measurement record. The way to correct it is to delete that record and enter a manual index with a known source.
- No manual editing of remote indexes
- Deletion and manual entry are traceable
- Every value keeps its source
Export
The whole archive or a selected period exports to Excel — for audits, expert review or your own reporting.
- Export by period and scope
- Reading report and index breakdown
- Re-import through the Excel template
Consumption analysis
Daily reading means knowing before period close
Daily consumption tracking
Daily indexes become daily consumption. You see how a unit or a block is doing without waiting for the period to close.
Period comparison
This period against the last, or against the same period a year ago — so conclusions are not drawn without accounting for how hard the heating season was.
Abnormal consumption
Values below the previous index, sudden jumps and consumption above the limit are flagged. In the field app these cases make a photo mandatory.
Zero consumption and stalled meters
An index that does not move for a long time may mean a closed valve or a failed meter. Those meters are gathered in their own list.
Suspected water leaks
Continuous flow and consumption that does not stop at night point to a leak inside the unit. Instantaneous flow data is what makes that visible early.
Temperature difference (ΔT)
A persistently low ΔT indicates hydraulic imbalance or a faulty valve. Flow and return temperatures from the heat meter make that diagnosis possible.
Unread meters
What happens when a meter will not answer?
The reading round completes
Results split into read and unread. Every unread meter is listed with a reason: no answer, corrupt telegram, low bus voltage, weak signal.
Reading is retried
A second round runs for the unread meters only. Most transient signal and line problems clear at this step.
Modem and line are checked
If every meter on a loop is silent, the problem is the line or the modem rather than the meters. Modem monitoring shows connection state, signal level and bus voltage.
A field task is assigned
The remaining meters go to a technician. Task scope is set at loop, block, unit or individual meter level, and the technician can read with no connectivity inside the building.
Fault report and work order
If the meter really is faulty, a photo-backed fault report is opened from the field. The work order passes through assigned → started → awaiting approval → approved; the meter record does not change without approval.
Billing completes with estimation
For an unmeasured unit one of the two regulation-defined routes is applied: that unit's own previous comparable period, or the consumption of comparable units in the same period. Period close never waits for a meter.
Turkish heat cost regulation defines two routes for a unit that cannot be measured: that unit's own previous comparable period or the consumption of comparable units in the same period. NovuSoft applies both from a single screen.
Official Gazette 14.04.2008 / 26847
Frequently asked questions
What people ask about remote reading
Which meter brands can you read?
Reading is based on the M-Bus and wM-Bus protocols rather than any manufacturer's own software. Heat, hot water, cold water and electricity meters that produce standard telegrams are read regardless of brand. You do not need to replace your installed meters.
Our meters are wireless. Do we need to run cable?
No. Meters broadcasting wM-Bus telegrams at 868 MHz are read through a collector. On large sites a LoRaWAN gateway is used; where in-building coverage is the problem, an RF collector solves it. Wired and wireless meters can sit side by side in the same project.
Is the index all you take from a meter?
No. Whatever the telegram carries is read: current and due-date index, instantaneous flow and power, flow and return temperatures, temperature difference, operating and error hours, device error codes and battery status. These fields are stored in the index history and feed the analysis.
How often can meters be read?
Reading is not tied to period close; daily reading is possible and you can trigger a read from the panel at any time. Once daily readings accumulate, consumption analysis and leak detection become possible.
Does the reading stop if we close the browser?
No. The read command runs on the server. You can close the page and see the result when you come back; a project with 1,920 meters reads in the background the same way.
What happens when a meter cannot be read?
Reading is retried for the unread meters first. If a whole loop is silent, the modem and line are checked. If that does not resolve it, a field task is assigned; where the meter is faulty, a photo-backed fault report and work order follow. On the billing side, regulation-defined estimation is applied so the period closes on time.
Can a remotely read index be corrected in the panel?
Not by hand — this is deliberate. Editing what the modem measured would falsify the measurement record. The correction path is to delete that record and enter a manual index in its place, and every reading keeps its source: remote, app, Excel or manual.
How long is reading history kept?
The reading archive is not purged per period; past indexes, attempt records and reading reports stay in your account. Any selected period can be exported to Excel.