I was drinking that morning cup of coffee and thinking about the issue that came up yesterday. We had an interesting problem with our electricity and the main issue was communication. Svet and I have just been talking about when will the bill for the electric come. We had all bills except that one. 🙂
The picture above is our electric meter. Not like any meter that I have ever seen on my house before before. This is a state of the art electronic device that is programed to shut off the power when you are out of money. Other words, it is as the power company says: “Based on the same technology as many cell phones in Russia- prepaid.” You pay ahead for any electricity that you need…
That is fine and dandy and we have no problem with the system. But we had a problem with the fact that nowhere in any papers and or conversations did anyone mention. That you needed to make a two hour trip across town then two hours back, to get a special key to activate the meter after recharging it with money at the nearest bank…
The blue key hanging outside of the box in the picture above is the electronic key. The local bank takes you money and inserts the key in a machine and then the key is programed to transfer the sum to your meter when you insert said key at home. Great idea but we did not have a key!
After solving that problem – 6 and a half hours after finding out the power was shut off due to our problem. We had electricty again as easy as pushing a key into the slot. The big blue button above the key is used to check how much money you have left and other various functions.
I am use to the big glass meter system that is used in America and older Russian electrical systems. You know the type that can be turned around and run in reverse or use a magnet and stop the dial from spinning. I bet my son who is a computer whiz could reprogram this dev
ice to give free electricity. 🙂
Just doesn’t seem right that after all these years that this tiny little box controls all the power in the flat or house. I like watching the dial spin in the old meters.
Looks like the world is just going to become on big electronic device one day…
Windows to Russia!
comments always welcome.