Will AI replace Meter Readers, Utilities?
Estimated risk score: 49 out of 100
Moderate replacement risk
Estimate from published task research, not reviewed by a person · how we estimate
Within about 19 points for 4 in 5 of the jobs we checked (30 to 68).
For the occupation as a whole, from ratings of its 13 O*NET tasks published in 2023 and calibrated to our hand scores. A specialty inside it can sit higher or lower.
O*NET-SOC 43-5041.00 · Office and Administrative Support
Tasks rated in 2023 as ones AI could do or speed up
Tasks a GPT-4-class model could do, or do in half the time or less: 5 of its 13 rated tasks. In O*NET’s words.
- Answer customers' questions about services and charges, or direct them to customer service centers.
- Leave messages to arrange different times to read meters in cases in which meters are not accessible.
- Update client address and meter location information.
- Upload into office computers all information collected on hand-held computers during meter rounds, or return route books or hand-held computers to business offices so that data can be compiled.
- Read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route books or hand-held computers.
Tasks rated in 2023 as not sped up by AI
Tasks such a model was rated as not speeding up or taking over: 6 of its 13 rated tasks. In O*NET’s words.
- Connect and disconnect utility services at specific locations.
- Perform preventative maintenance or minor repairs on meters.
- Walk or drive vehicles along established routes to take readings of meter dials.
- Inspect meters for unauthorized connections, defects, and damage, such as broken seals.
- Report to service departments any problems, such as meter irregularities, damaged equipment, or impediments to meter access, including dogs.
- Report lost or broken keys.
What the job is
Read meter and record consumption of electricity, gas, water, or steam.
Also called: Meter Reader, Water Meter Reader, Water Use Inspector, Fieldman, Facilities Tech, Gas Meter Reader, Meter Record Clerk, Steam Meter Reader.
Closest jobs we score by hand
In the same field (Office and Administrative Support). Different jobs, each scored by a person.
Source. This site includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. (O*NET, CC BY 4.0.) Task ratings: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models”, data used under the MIT licence (licence texts). Our change: we averaged the ratings over this occupation’s tasks and calibrated them to our 0–100 scale. It is not a prediction about any one person and not career advice. Disagree? Write to hello@yourstopwashit.com. How we estimate