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Solution
Disconnection and reconnection field app for prepaid smart meters
PIEBENCH gives prepaid smart meter teams a field app for the disconnection and reconnection cases remote commands can't close: relays that don't respond, tampered meters, consumer disputes and safety checks. Cases come in as work orders, by CSV or from the HES through Connectorly. Crews record what they found and did, with photos and GPS, in the offline Android app.
Prepaid changes the field job, it doesn't remove it
With prepaid smart meters, most disconnections and reconnections happen remotely. The balance runs out, the HES sends a command, the relay opens. The consumer recharges, and it closes again. No truck roll.
Most is not all, though. Some cases still end with a technician at the premises:
- The relay doesn't respond to the remote command, or the meter has stopped communicating.
- A consumer has recharged but supply hasn't come back, and the complaint is escalating.
- Signs of tampering or a bypass around a disconnected meter.
- A safety concern, or a premises where remote disconnection isn't allowed.
- Low-balance follow-ups where the DISCOM wants a field visit before acting.
These are low in volume but high in sensitivity. A wrong disconnection is a consumer complaint at best and a news story at worst, so every visit needs a clear record.
How it runs in PIEBENCH
- The case arrives. Cases come in as work orders: imported by CSV, created by a supervisor, or pulled from the HES or billing system by Connectorly on a schedule or webhook. An HES that sends disconnection or reconnection exceptions by webhook can create these jobs directly.
- Assign and dispatch. Each case is tied to its service point, so supervisors can send the nearest crew. Crews on duty can also pick up jobs on the move.
- Visit and record, offline. The technician records the meter status, the action taken (reconnected, disconnected, relay reset, escalated), meter and seal photos, the reading and a GPS fix.
- Review. A supervisor approves the visit or rejects it with a note.
- Report back. Approved results go to the HES or billing system through Connectorly, so the case can be closed on that side with evidence attached.
The form is yours
Disconnection and reconnection rules vary by DISCOM and state regulation, so PIEBENCH doesn't impose one form. You build it in the workflow builder with dropdowns for meter status and action taken, required photos of the meter and seals, a reading field and GPS. Add any other step your procedure needs, and make it required. When rules change, an admin updates the form the same day.
Evidence for the sensitive cases
Disconnections are where disputes happen. Each PIEBENCH visit carries timestamped photos, a GPS fix with its accuracy, the technician who did it and the supervisor who approved it, all in the audit trail. If a consumer claims they were disconnected wrongly, or that a crew never came, the answer is a record, not a recollection.
Tamper findings work the same way. Photos of broken seals or a bypass, taken on site and stored with the job, are far more useful than a note added later.
Who should use this page
This workflow suits DISCOM O&M teams, AMISPs running O&M after installation, and agencies contracted for prepaid field support. If your field work also includes installation and NCM visits, the same crews, app and approval queue handle all of them. See NCM resolution and smart meter installation.
Disconnection and reconnection jobs can run on any plan from $199/month. Custom forms use the workflow builder, and HES or billing integration uses Connectorly, both part of Pro ($499 a month) and Enterprise. See pricing.
Built to integrate with your systems
HES, MDM, SAP IS-U, Oracle CC&B and billing systems, over REST, OAuth or a direct SQL connection. How integrations work
Questions buyers ask
Do prepaid smart meters still need field disconnection teams?
Fewer, but yes. Most prepaid disconnections and reconnections happen remotely through the HES. Field visits are still needed when the relay does not respond, the meter is not communicating, tampering is suspected, or a consumer dispute or safety issue needs someone on site.
How do I manage smart prepaid meter field operations?
Treat each field case as a work order tied to a service point. In PIEBENCH, cases come in by CSV, from supervisors or from the HES through Connectorly. Crews record the status, action, photos and GPS offline, supervisors approve, and results go back to the HES or billing system.
What should a disconnection visit record?
At minimum the meter status, the action taken, a reading, photos of the meter and seals, a GPS fix and the time, plus the technician and approving supervisor. In PIEBENCH you add whatever extra steps your procedure needs and choose which are required.
Can a field crew reconnect supply if the remote command fails?
That depends on your DISCOM's procedures and the meter, not the app. What PIEBENCH does is make sure the visit is assigned, done and recorded with evidence, and that the result reaches the HES or billing system once a supervisor approves it.
Can disconnection jobs be done without mobile signal?
Yes. The Scout Android app works offline. Photos, readings and the GPS fix are stored on the phone and sync when the signal returns, which matters where meters with communication problems are concentrated.
How do I prove a disconnection was done correctly?
Attach evidence to each visit: timestamped photos, GPS with accuracy, the technician, and a supervisor approval. PIEBENCH keeps all of it with the job and in the audit trail, so a later dispute can be answered from the record.
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