Meter reader takes reading on the “Next Reading Date” indicated on your bill every month. If meter reader is unable to take meter reading, CEM will estimate the electricity consumption of the month based on the average consumption of the past 12 months and issue an estimated bill in accordance with number 3 of Article 19 of Decree-law No. 43/91/M.

• Inaccessible private area: when a building’s entrance gate or meter room is locked and the person in charge cannot be contacted to open the door, or when the shop is closed, etc. meter reader will be unable to take reading.
• MCB is switched off: For vacant premises, customers tend to turn off the circuit breaker next to the meter, thus the electronic display on the meter cannot show the reading. For electrical safety reasons, meter reader will not restart the circuit breaker without knowing the indoor electricity usage. If customers need to temporarily interrupt the indoor power supply, it is suggested to simply turn off the circuit breaker in the premises.
• Dangerous environment: For personal safety reasons, meter reader will not enter areas to take reading if he/she determines that the on-site environment has potential danger, such as the meter is up to 2 meters high or blocked by sundries. Customers must keep meter’s surroundings safe and clean, so that meter readers can successfully take readings.
• Inclement weather: Affected by severe weather such as typhoons or flooding, meter readers are unable to safely reach the destination for meter reading.

The front of the bill and envelope are in blue color, and “Estimated Bill” is printed on the bill’s header and the front of the envelop. In addition, an “E” is indicated next to the meter reading on back of the bill for identification.

The electricity charges during the estimated period will be automatically recalculated after actual reading is taken. If you would like to have the estimated bill adjusted, you can schedule a meter reading appointment with us or submit self-reading through eService before the “Payment Due Date”. In addition, CEM only accepts estimated readings/self-readings for 3 consecutive months. Power supply may be suspended if actual reading cannot be taken for more than 3 consecutive months.

After actual reading has been taken, CEM will first refund all the collected estimated amount and recalculate the amount during the estimation period and current month based on the two latest actual readings and total consumption days, including demand, consumption, tariff clause adjustment and government tax. Lastly, all the government subsidies (if applicable) of the affected month(s) and previous payment(s) will be deducted to calculate the adjusted bill amount.

As shown in the example below, the bill has been estimated for the past two months and adjusted after the actual reading is taken this month.

No, you will not be double charged. CEM will first refund all the previous estimated amount and recalculate the amount based on the actual electricity consumption during the estimation period and current month. All electricity subsidies will also be adjusted accordingly.

Customers can schedule a reading appointment or submit self-reading 3 working days before the “Next Reading Date” on the bill via eServices on CEM Website or App, Chatbot on both CEM WeChat and Website, Info Line 2833 9911, e-mail (customer.centre@cem-macau.com), fax (2833 9912) or visit our Customer Service Centres.