Meter Reading Service

Background

The City of Suffolk is seeking proposals from qualified firms to provide annual meter reading services for the Department of Public Utilities. The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to establish a contract through competitive negotiations with a contractor experienced in meter reading services, which are essential for accurately billing users for water utilities provided to the residents of Suffolk.

Work Details

The contractor will be responsible for reading approximately 30,000 water meters per month, adhering to a monthly meter reading schedule that maintains a 28- to 32-day billing period. There are two types of meters in the system: manual read and touch read. The contractor must read six routes daily, Monday through Friday, over approximately 18 workdays per month. Each route consists of approximately 250-400 meters. The contractor must provide all necessary equipment, including meter reading units and software for data upload. Additionally, they will handle backreads and miss-reads with penalties applied for failures to meet requirements. The contractor is also responsible for local supervision, employee training, maintaining a drug-free workplace, and ensuring proper customer service.

Period of Performance

The contract will commence on August 1, 2026, and continue through July 31, 2027. It may be renewed at the City's discretion for up to four additional one-year periods through July 31, 2031.

Place of Performance

The services will be performed within the City of Suffolk, Virginia.

Bidder Requirements

To qualify for bidding, contractors must have a minimum of three years' experience in contract meter reading and provide at least three references from similar clients. They must also be able to start providing services within thirty days from the award date.