Encore que nous recevions l’auto-relevé, nous vérifions l’index de consommation.

No. In this sentence, encore que is a fixed expression meaning although, even though, or granted that.

So encore is not being used with its everyday meaning of again or still. It is best to learn encore que as one chunk.

Because encore que normally requires the subjunctive in French.

So after encore que, French uses:

• que nous recevions = subjunctive not
• que nous recevons = indicative

A native English speaker often wants to use the normal present tense here, but French grammar treats encore que as a trigger for the subjunctive.

Good question: recevions can indeed look like either the imperfect indicative or the present subjunctive.

Here it is present subjunctive, because the conjunction encore que requires it.

You can tell from the context:

• Encore que nous recevions... → subjunctive clause
• The main clause nous vérifions... is in the present, so the sentence is talking about a present/general situation, not a past narrative.

This is a very common point of confusion, because several nous and vous subjunctive forms are identical to the imperfect forms.

In this context, auto-relevé means a self-reading, especially a meter reading provided by the customer.

The prefix auto- here means self-, not car.
So this is not about automobiles. It means that the user/customer reads the meter themselves and sends that reading in.

This kind of vocabulary is common in utility, billing, and administrative French.

Because French uses elision before a vowel sound.

The noun is le auto-relevé in theory, but le becomes l’ before a vowel:

• le + auto-relevé → l’auto-relevé

This does not tell you whether the noun is masculine or feminine, because both le and la become l’ before a vowel sound.

Here index is a technical word meaning the meter reading or the number shown on the meter.

So index de consommation is basically the consumption reading or meter reading related to usage.

This is a partial false friend for English speakers:

• English index often means a list, a pointer, or a numerical indicator
• In utility French, index often means the actual figure displayed on the meter

So in this context, you should think meter reading, not book index.

Because nous vérifions l’index de consommation is the main clause, and it is presented as a normal statement of fact.

Only the subordinate clause introduced by encore que takes the subjunctive:

• Encore que nous recevions l’auto-relevé → subjunctive
• nous vérifions l’index de consommation → indicative

So the subjunctive is not used for the whole sentence, only for the clause that is grammatically triggered by encore que.

It exists and is correct, but it can sound a bit more formal, careful, or written than some other options.

Common alternatives are:

• bien que
  • subjunctive
• même si
  • indicative

For example:

• Bien que nous recevions l’auto-relevé...
• Même si nous recevons l’auto-relevé...

The choice is not always perfectly interchangeable, but for a learner, it is useful to know that encore que is not the most basic everyday way to say even though.

In standard French, no: after encore que, you normally need the subjunctive, so recevions is the expected form.

So the standard version is:

• Encore que nous recevions l’auto-relevé

Not:

• Encore que nous recevons l’auto-relevé

If you want to use the indicative, you would normally choose a different conjunction, such as même si:

• Même si nous recevons l’auto-relevé...

Yes, in everyday spoken French, on is often used instead of nous:

• Encore qu’on reçoive l’auto-relevé, on vérifie l’index de consommation.

But the original sentence sounds like administrative, professional, or company language, and in that kind of context, nous is very normal.

So:

• nous = more formal, institutional, or written
• on = more conversational and spoken

The comma separates the subordinate clause from the main clause:

• Encore que nous recevions l’auto-relevé,
• nous vérifions l’index de consommation.

This makes the sentence easier to read and shows the contrast clearly. In French, punctuation with introductory clauses like this is common and helpful, especially in formal writing.