The history of companies is shaped by the people who share it. And people’s stories are defined by their experiences. For António and Paulo, there is a company that tells the story of their personal and professional lives. The company they’ve known inside and out since they finished school and started working: EDP.
António Manuel was the first of the two to start working for the EDP Group, in 1986. He joined the company as a young student, while attending Year 10:
I worked in low voltage network maintenance and have been in the metering department since 1993. I heard at school that EDP was hiring and managed to submit my application on the very last day.
After working for two years in the metering area, he saw a new colleague arrive. Paulo Lopes joined EDP in 1995, at the age of 18. He began an apprenticeship after completing vocational training in electricity: “I happened to do an internship in this area [metering] and got in.”
The joy of cruising the streets
EDP Distribuição currently has three types of customers: regular low-voltage customers, special low-voltage customers and medium-voltage customers. Metering technicians handle the meters of all these customers.
We do something in the morning and a completely different thing in the afternoon.
Part of our tasks involves “preparing the work for the technicians who are out in the field, such as programming equipment and ensuring all necessary aspects,” explains Paulo. There’s also the preparation of the work itself: “Especially in case of locations difficult to access, where we need to intervene.”
A while ago, the routine underwent some changes, which now means that António and Paulo carry out a combination of technical and administrative tasks. But the joy of cruising the streets is always there: “I’d truly enjoy being out in the field all day. It’s healthier,” asserts António. An opinion echoed by Paul: “Our ‘beach’ is out there.”
Despite the changes, they continue working in the field and seize every opportunity to do so. This ongoing challenge ensures that no two days are the same: “Monday’s work isn’t always the same as Tuesday’s. We do something in the morning and a completely different thing in the afternoon,” affirms Paulo enthusiastically.
Dealing with conflict
After so many years of working in the field, the stories and episodes accumulate. Some are humorous and anecdotal; others are more complicated: “We’ve been assaulted, at least there was an attempt, we’ve been expelled… we’ve been through a lot,” highlights António. “Verbal aggression is the most common situation,” continues Paulo. Although it doesn’t happen very often, the truth is that sometimes leaving is the only way to avoid physical aggression. Years of experience also help anticipate and prevent certain situations.
We must never forget that our work in the field is carried out on someone else’s property, where we oversee something that belongs to us and monitor devices that meter an essential utility.
We already have sufficient experience to assess potential conflicts. We analyse the situations before heading out into the field.
A profession in constant evolution
“Forty years ago, there were meter readers/collectors, people who would go up the stairs, take readings, generate invoices and collect payments. Today, we’re light years ahead.” Paul’s example illustrates how the role of metering technicians has evolved over the decades.
The advancements in meters have contributed greatly to this evolution. And more recently, smart devices have further transformed the landscape: “They make it possible to avoid estimates,” affirms António.
But the changes don’t stop there. Paul is tasked with explaining: “In homes where this equipment has been installed, no one will knock on the door to take readings; customers can decide if they want more or less power, and we can do it remotely.”
Continuous learning
Today’s rapid technological evolution means that metering technicians are constantly learning. This alone is reason enough for Paulo to consider that good technicians are becoming increasingly hard to find: “When metering technology was mechanical, it was possible to train a technician in a given period of time. Nowadays, there are many years of evolution in electronics on top of this technology.”
And even professionals with more than 20 years of experience, like Paulo, need to constantly bear in mind that there’s always something new to learn.
A metering technician never knows everything, because something new is always coming up. It’s an area of continuous learning.
But working at EDP Distribuição teaches technicians much more than just the technical aspects of metering. Paulo Lopes believes that technicians, whose work is partly carried out in the field, interacting with people, have a “much better understanding” of society. For António, working at EDP Distribuição means being in a place where he’s surrounded by people he likes.
António Manuel has been with the company for over 30 years; Paulo Lopes for over two decades. Both are metering technicians who have learned and evolved together, witnessing technological leaps in a company where they hope to continue working for many more years.
The sound relationships between colleagues are very positive. This department is where I’ve found the people with whom I feel comfortable working every day.
