The government company that handles utility bills may have installed 65,000 smart meters but so far only 3,600 bills are being issued under the new system, according to chief executive officer Wilfred Borg.

Mr Borg said some 200 account holders in Mdina, 400 in Manikata and 3,000 in Żurrieq were receiving bills through the new system by which data from the smart meters are collected remotely without the need of a meter reader.

Speaking during the launch of a service at the Birkirkara local council where clients can pay their water and electricity bills, Mr Borg said ARMS Ltd intended to have six towns in Malta and one in Gozo where bills would be issued through the smart meter system by the end of the year. Swieqi was next in line.

A system similar to that launched in Birkirkara already exists at Gudja and Għaxaq but, for the first time, bills paid at Birkirkara will be updated into the system electronically.

ARMS yesterday also launched a portal where clients could access their personal account and pay bills online. A billing calculator will shortly be added to the online platform.

Mr Borg noted that ARMS collected about €400 million a year for Enemalta and Water Services Corporation. The company also managed to cut debtor days by 20 over the past year.

He said the problem of bill delays that plagued consumers last year had been mitigated and, while in the 12 months up to January there were only 16 per cent of account holders who received four or more bills a year, the figure rose to 80 per cent in the 12 months to March.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said waiting time at the Luqa central office had been cut to 30 minutes and the government was committed to finish the Gattard House project by summer, a more central place for customers.

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